Right Wing Nation

Even as a small child, I loved pears. Of course, in the rural area where I grew up, we ate canned pears (in heavy syrup) — which I still love. Now we can get a wide variety of pears at the supermarket, and over the years, I’ve experimented with them. Here are a couple of poached pear recipes you can whip up quickly and will always please.

Please use ripe pears. A lot of people seem to think you can poach rocky, unripe pears. You can, but you don’t get the richness of the ripe pear (gently press the stem end of the pear with your finger, and if it yields, the pear is ripe; ripe pears should also be fragrant). If most of the pears are hard, as they often are, put them in a paper bag and close it up, then let it sit a day or two on the counter (depending on how far from ripe it is).

For eating raw, the best pears, in my humble opinion, are the rich, soft, buttery, juicy bartlett and comice. For cooking, the bosc is ideal, as it is less soft and juicy; seckels and anjous are also good cooking pears.

Pears Poached in Red Wine

4 pears (preferably bosc, though seckels or anjous are also nice)
1 c. dry red wine
1/2. c. sugar
2 sticks cinnamon
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise

First, make the syrup. Dissolve the sugar in the wine over medium heat, stirring constantly, then add the cinnamon and vanilla bean. Turn heat down low and prepare the pears. Peel, core, and slice the pears. Add them to the syrup. Poach the pears until soft, about twenty minutes. Remove the pears from the syrup with a slotted spoon, spoon them into serving dishes, and chill. Serve with slightly sweetened whipped cream flavored with a bit of vanilla. This syrup can be refrigerated and reused to poach more pears, and gets better the more you use it.

Pears Poached in Almond Cream

4 pears (preferably bosc, though seckels or anjous are also nice)
1/2 c. heavy cream
2 T. - 1/4 c. sugar
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
1 1/2 t. almond extract (not artificial!)
2 oz. slivered almonds

First, toast the almonds. Spread them thinly on a baking sheet and put them in a 350-degree oven. Toast until golden brown and fragrant.

How much sugar to use? It depends on what kind of pear you’re poaching. Bosc or anjou? Go with 1/4 cup. Seckels are sweeter, so decrease the sugar. Dissolve the sugar in the cream over medium heat, then add the vanilla and almond extract and turn heat down low. Peel, core, and slice the pears and add them. As the pears poach, spoon the cream over them every couple of minutes, until the pears are soft. Remove the pears to serving dishes, turn the heat up medium high, and reduce the cream until it thickens. Spoon over the pears and chill. Just before serving, sprinkle with the roasted almonds.

Or if you want raw pears, try this. Peel, core, and halve ripe bartlett or comice pears. Sprinkle with chopped walnuts or pecans and crumbled blue cheese, then drizzle very lightly with honey.