Go Back
Print Recipe

Pears Poached in Red Wine with Orange Cardamom Sabayon

Pears Poached in Red Wine with Orange Cardamom Sabayon
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time45 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: dessert, pears, Poached

Ingredients

For the poaching liquid:

  • 1 750 ml bottle of red wine about 3 cups
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 each cinnamon stick
  • 2 each oranges juiced
  • 1 each peel from 1 orange
  • 1 each star anise
  • 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
  • 6 each pears peeled, stem on

For the Orange Cardamom Sabayon

  • 2/3 cup white wine
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 6 each egg yolks
  • 1 each zest of 1 orange
  • 1 teaspoon fresh ground cardamom

Instructions

To poach the pears:

  • Peel the pears and leave the stem on.
  • Combine the wine, water, sugar, orange juice, orange peel and spices in a sauce pot large enough to hold the 6 pears snuggly and deep enough so that the pears are covered in the liquid.
  • Bring the liquid to a simmer and then gently submerge the pears. Poach the pears until they are tender when pierced with a fork on the bottom. Time will vary depending on the ripeness of the pears (approximately 15-30 minutes).
  • If not serving the pears right away, refrigerate them in the syrup. Serve chilled or warmed.

Option to make syrup:

  • Remove the pears from the poaching liquid and continue to simmer the liquid until it reduces to a syrup which will coat the back of a spoon. The syrup can be used on the pears, over ice cream, or even as a sauce in a savory dish with fish or seared sea scallops.

To make the sabayon:

  • Whisk together all ingredients in a large heat proof bowl. Set the bowl over a pot of simmering water. Do not allow the bottom of the bowl to touch the water.
  • Whisk the egg mixture until frothy and it begins to thicken into a thin custard. It should coat the back of a spoon.