Red Wine Poached Pears with Chocolate Ganache

Ingredients

For the pears:

• 4 firm pears
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 cups red wine
• 1 cup sugar
• ½ vanilla bean pod
• ½ cinnamon stick
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

For the chocolate ganache:

• 3½ ounces bittersweet or dark chocolate, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• ¼ cup heavy cream

Directions

1. Peel the pears but leave the stems intact.
2. Toss the pears with the lemon juice after peeling to keep them from browning.
3. In a large pot, combine the wine, sugar, vanilla bean pod, cinnamon stick, and nutmeg.
4. Bring to a boil over high heat.
5. Reduce heat to medium-low so the liquid stays just below a simmer. (Do not poach the pears in boiling water, as the vigor of the boiling liquid may cause the pears to lose their shape.)
6. Add the pears to the poaching liquid. If they are bobbing up too much, place a small plate over them to keep them submerged.
7. After 15 minutes or so, flip the pears just to make sure they are evenly cooked.
8. Poach the pears for about 30 to 45 minutes total, or until soft enough to easily pierce with a knife. The exact time needed will vary depending on their size and level of ripeness.
9. To make the chocolate ganache, melt the chocolate and butter together in the top level of a double boiler over medium heat, stirring every few minutes.
10. Once melted, slowly add in the cream a little at a time, making sure to stir until the chocolate is smooth and uniform before adding more.
11. Serve the pears on plates drizzled with chocolate ganache.

Note: If halving this recipe to yield just 2 servings, do not halve the poaching liquid or there will not be enough to submerge the pears.

Servings

Serves 4

Have you tried this recipe? Give it a star rating and let us know your thoughts in the Ratings & Reviews section below.