Poached Pears in Marsala Wine
Poaching fruit is such a delicious way to use what is abundant in season and these pears are no exception. For this recipe, I like to use the Beurre Bosc variety as they hold their shape and are delectably smooth in the mouth. However, you can use whatever pears you like - you just might need to keep an eye on the cooking time (this will vary depending on variety and ripeness). Marsala wine is a lovely accompaniment and is a dry or sweet fortified wine produced in the region surrounding the city of Marsala in Sicily.
Serves: 8
Preparation: 45 minutes
INGREDIENTS
8 Beurre Bosc pears
1 vanilla bean, cut in half and seeds removed
6 cloves
1 orange, sliced peel and juice
½ cup caster sugar
2 cups marsala wine (I use Boronia for cooking)
A little bit of water to make sure the pears are almost covered
METHOD
Place the vanilla bean pod and scraped seeds, cloves, two pieces of orange rind and juice, sugar and marsala in a medium saucepan. Stir until combined. Put aside.
Peel the pears then cut them in half leaving the seeds intact. Make sure you leave the stalk on one side for decorative purposes. Place all the pears in the pot with the marsala mixture and add a little bit of water (not too much) to ensure they are almost covered.
Slowly bring the pears to a boil, stirring well until the sugar melts. Then gently simmer until ‘almost tender’. You do not want to overcook the pears at this point as they will continue to cook when you turn the heat off. Leave to cool completely in the marsala mixture. The longer you leave them in this mixture, the better they will taste (I think they are best made a day in advance).
When ready to serve, gently remove the pears and reserve the liquid. Strain this and place in a small saucepan to cook down slightly, so it thickens and turns into a sauce. Don’t overcook as it will become sticky and like caramel. Once done, place the pears back into the liquid to develop their flavours further (if you have time).
To serve, place 1-2 pear halves in a dish and drizzle some marsala sauce on top.
Serve with cream, ice-cream, greek yoghurt, biscotti or granola, as desired.
