Port Poached Pears
Looking for a beautiful dessert to impress? These Port Poached Pears are a show-stopper, combining the deep, rich flavours of port wine with the natural sweetness of the pears. Elegant, easy to make, and perfect for any special occasion—this dish has it all! In this recipe, we will talk you through everything from the best pears to choose for poaching to expert tips to make this dessert truly unforgettable!
Equipment
- Large pot
Ingredients
- 500 ml port
- 50 g caster sugar *less if your pears are extra sweet
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 star anise
- 1 wide strip of orange zest
- 4 pears ripe but firm
Instructions
- Peel the pears keeping the stalks intact.
- Pour the port into a large pot that will fit your pears on their sides comfortably. Add the sugar, orange peel, cinnamon and star anise. Simmer over low-medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves.
- Carefully lower the pears on their sides into the port mixture. Simmer for 20-30 minutes, turning the pears once ever so often in the poaching liquid. Your pears are cooked, when you can insert a pointy knife all through to the centre without much resistance.
- Once cooked, take the pan off the heat and the pears to cool down slightly in the liquid (about 20 minutes). If you intend to serve the pears cold, cool them completely in the syrup and store them in the fridge (again, in the syrup) for up to 3 days.
- If you intend to serve the pears warm, carefully take the pears out of the liquid, and set them aside.
- If your port syrup hasn't thickened much, return it to the boil and reduce a little to thicken.
- Serve the port poacjed pears with a drizzle of reduced port and a dollop of creme fraiche, ice cream or custard.
Nutrition
Calories: 352kcalCarbohydrates: 57gProtein: 1gFat: 0.3gSaturated Fat: 0.04gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.2gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.1gSodium: 13mgPotassium: 323mgFiber: 6gSugar: 40gVitamin A: 45IUVitamin C: 8mgCalcium: 26mgIron: 1mg
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