PEARS IN WHITE WINE WITH SAFFRON
An excellent wine for this recipe is an acidic sauvignon blanc. It marries well with the simple ingredients, resulting in a flavorful syrup that can be a wonderful addition to a cocktail. This is an ideal light dessert after a heavy meal, alongside a cheese course or even part of a salad with goat cheese in the mix. Don’t be too generous with the saffron; use just enough to get a sunny color.
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 3 cups or 1 bottle white wine
- ⅔ cup sugar
- 1 pinch saffron
- 2 slices peeled ginger
- 1 vanilla bean split
- 1 pinch salt
- 4 pears preferably Bosc
Instructions
- In a pot large enough to hold the pears, add wine, sugar, saffron, ginger, vanilla bean, and salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat.
- Meanwhile, peel and cut pears in half. Using a melon baller, scoop out the core. With a small paring knife, remove the inner part of the stalk, leaving the outer stem intact.
- Add pears and lower heat. They should be covered with cooking liquid. Cover and poach gently for 10 to 15 minutes, turning them over occasionally to make sure they color evenly. If desired, you can place a circle of parchment paper on top of the syrup to make sure the pears remain beneath the liquid. Simmer until pears are soft when pierced with a knife.
- Drain and transfer pears to a serving dish or container. If you like a heavier syrup, reduce it until lightly thickened.
- Combine pears with syrup and allow to cool before serving. Pears will keep refrigerated up to a week.
