Poached Pears in Red Wine

Recipe from “Cooking for Geeks: Real Science, Great Hacks and Good Food”

Adapted by Tara Parker-Pope

Updated April 29, 2024

Poached Pears in Red Wine
Total Time
About 20 minutes
Rating
4(150)
Comments
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Jeff Potter enjoys the science of cooking, which is why he wrote, “Cooking for Geeks: Real Science, Great Hacks and Good Food.” For a combined dessert and science experiment, Mr. Potter suggests poaching pears, which causes changes in the structure of the fruit’s flesh, breaking down cell walls and affecting the bonds between neighboring cells to create a softer texture that’s infused with the flavor of the poaching liquid. While you can get away with poaching pears that are a little underripe, you can also encourage pears to ripen by storing them in a paper bag. —Tara Parker-Pope

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Ingredients

Yield:About 1½ cups
  • 2medium pears
  • 1cup red wine
  • ¼teaspoon ground pepper
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (2 servings)

202 calories; 0 grams fat; 0 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 0 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 30 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams dietary fiber; 18 grams sugars; 1 gram protein; 7 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Remove the pear cores and slice pears lengthwise into eighths or twelfths.

  2. Step 2

    Set the pan over low to medium heat, bringing the wine to a simmer. Add pepper to taste, and then poach the pears for 5 to 10 minutes, until soft. Flip the pears halfway through so that both sides of the slices spend some time in the liquid.

  3. Step 3

    Remove the pears from the liquid. If desired, you can reduce the liquid down to a syrup to pour over the fruit. The pears can also be served with caramel sauce, vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

Ratings

4 out of 5
150 user ratings
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Comments

laura

Yes, and in fact they should taste even better. Anyway, a bit more spice could be added to this recipe (cinnamon, clove) and I thing it would work out better.

Pgodfrey

Add cinnamon and clove.

Cathy

I liked them even better a couple of hours later, so maybe next time I would make further in advance.

Carla

Very good and much easier than poaching whole pears. Especially if your pears have blemishes. Sprinkled a little sugar over and added a small Pinch of Quattro espices.

Robert

Tutu, any wine will do. I had a spicy, fruity Malbec that was great.

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Credits

From 'Cooking for Geeks'

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