In Spain, Esta es La Pera is a popular idiom used to describe a particularly enjoyable experience. Literally translated, it means “This is the pear.”
So, in the spirit of this season when pears shine, here is a “no fuss” dessert that showcases one of the best fruits of the fall/winter season–pears.
This recipe for Pears Poached in Red Wine and Cassis is a Martha Rose Shulman recipe from The New York Times. You can find the link here. I am a long-time admirer of Shulman’s recipes. One of my favorite cookbooks is her fine 2007 cookbook Mediterranean Harvest. The book is long out of print and copies are pricey but you can find copies on Amazon here.
Here is the recipe as I prepared it in my kitchen. Esta es La Pera, for sure!
Pears Poached in Red Wine and Cassis
October 16, 2022
Ingredients
- 4 firm-but-ripe pears
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- Water
- 3 C. red wine (I used a combination of sauvignon blanc and merlot)
- 1/3 C. mild honey
- 1/4 C. creme de cassis liqueur
- 1/2 t. vanilla extract
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1/2 C. golden raisins
- 1/4 C. lightly-toasted slivered almonds
- Whipped cream
Directions
- Step 1 Peel and core pears. Slice pears into quarters. Put the pear slices in a bowl of water mixed with lemon juice.
- Step 2 Put wine, honey, creme de casis, vanilla, cinnamon stick, and raisins in a medium saucepan. Bring these ingredients to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer for about 5 minutes.
- Step 3 Remove the pear slices from the lemon water and add to the simmering wine mixture. Cover the saucepan and simmer for about 10 or 15 minutes more. Remove from heat.
- Step 4 When the pears are properly poached, they will be translucent. Serve pears with a bit of the wine poaching liquid, a sprinkling of toasted sliced almonds and a dollop of whipped cream. I enjoyed this at room temperature but it can be served chilled.
