A light and delicious poached pears made with apple cider and a hint of orange.
"*" See Kitchen Notes for more information or links to special ingredients.
Simmer for 20 to 30 minutes until done, time depending on the ripeness of the pears*.
Bring the liquid to a boil. Cook uncovered and reduce to about 1/4 cup. If you don't want to wait for the sauce to thicken, you can produce a thicker sauce quickly by slowing sifting the cornstarch into a simmering (not boiling) sauce. I use an old tea strainer to sift. Put the cornstarch in the strainer and tap it over the sauce pan, stirring constantly. Add a little cornstarch at a time until the sauce is at the desired thickness.
The Pears – Bosc, Anjou, and Bartletts all work nicely. I haven’t tried Asian or Comice pears, but I can’t imagine they wouldn’t work. Pears be firm and a touch under-ripe. If the pear is already soft, poaching it will either turn it to mush.
Cooking Time – Adjust the cooking time to the ripeness of the pears. If the pears are just on the edge of being ripe, then cook for the minimum cook time of 20 minutes. If they are “hard”, then 30 minutes will be needed. To test, poke a toothpick into the thickest part of the pear. If it doesn’t go through to the center without having to hold onto the pear, then cook a couple more minutes. If it goes through easily, then remove the pears from the pan and thicken the sauce, if desired.
Spiking Component – There are several different alcohols that you can use and if you don’t like cooking with alcohol, then just omit it. Cointreau or Grand Marnier are my favorites. Other options include marsala, sweet tawny port, or another sweet, dessert wine or another flavored liquor. Just keep in mind that the flavor of the liquor will affect the flavor of the poached pears, so if you don’t like the taste of the alcohol component, you won’t like the taste of the pears.
Apple Juice vs. Apple Cider – I always have sparkling apple cider which tends to be a little sweeter than most apple juices; therefore, cider yields a little sweeter pear as well as a sweeter sauce. Therefore, if I’m serving the pear as a side, I’ll omit the sauce altogether to keep it from being too sweet of a side. Of course if you have neither, you could always substitute grape juice, or use all orange juice.
Spices – The combination and amount of spices listed in this recipe yields a delicately spiced pear. If you want more spice flavor, then increase the amounts. Throw in a star anise or some fennel seeds for a bit of licorice flavor. Rather than using individual spices, toss in 1/2 to 1 tsp. of your favorite spice mix. Just keep the amount of spices to a minimum so you don’t overpower the flavor of the pear that is brought out in the steaming process.
Recipe author: MJ of MJ's Kitchen