Bosc pears poached in Marsala wine with star anise, cinnamon and cloves.
Don’t you love it when you put something together on a whim and get it right the first time?
My friend Garrett had some extra pears from a baking adventure that I decided to poach in Marsala wine, with some sugar, star anise, cinnamon and cloves.
Marsala poached pears
Firm, just ripe pears should be used. If they are too ripe, the pears will become mushy. If Bosc pears are not available, Bartlett or Anjou can be substituted. You can core the bottom of the pears if you like, but it really isn’t necessary.
ingredients
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4 bosc pearspeeled, stem still attached, 1/4-inch of bottom cut off to allow pears to sit upright easily
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1 Cup dry Marsala wine (or Madeira)
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1 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
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1/3 Cup White sugar
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1/2 star anise
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4 cloves
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1/2 floor Cinammon
method
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Make the Spiced Marsala Syrup:
In a saucepan just big enough for all the pears, add the Marsala wine, sugar, lemon juice, star anise, cloves and cinnamon. Bring to a boil.
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Poach pears in syrup:
Once cooked, reduce the heat to medium and add the pears to the pan, standing upright. Cover the pan and cook (basting a few times while cooking, if you like) until the pears are easily pierced with a fork, 10 to 15 minutes.
Very firm pears need to cook for up to 20 minutes.
After poaching, place the pears on a serving platter.
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Boil down the syrup until it turns into a glaze:
Leave the pan uncovered and allow the Marsala syrup to simmer for a few minutes until a thick syrup forms. (If it starts to caramelize, remove the pan from the heat and add some water to the pan to stop the cooking.)
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Pour the syrup over the pears and serve
| nutritional information (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 216 | calories |
| 0g | Fat |
| 50g | carbohydrates |
| 1g | protein |
