Red Wine Poached Pears with Vanilla Yogurt
45 min · Easy
#autumn#dessert#french#gluten-free#romantic#vegetarian
For an evening for two (or four) when dessert should look like far more effort than it was. Pears poach slowly in red wine with cinnamon, star anise and orange until they turn a deep ruby, then the wine reduces into a glossy, spiced syrup. Serve them warm and standing tall in the bowl, with cold vanilla yogurt — and let the candlelight do the rest.
Ingredientsfor 4 portions
- 4 medium Pear, peeled, stalks left on
- 400 ml Red Wine
- 50 g Granulated Sugar
- 1 stick Cinnamon Sticks
- 4 g Star Anise, about 2 whole stars
- 1 medium orange Orange, zest in wide strips and juice
- 200 g Greek Yogurt
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
Steps
- Put the wine, sugar, cinnamon stick, star anise, orange zest and orange juice in a saucepan just wide enough to hold the pears standing up. Bring to a simmer, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
- Stand the pears in the pan, cover with a lid or a circle of baking paper and poach at a gentle simmer for 20–25 minutes, turning them every 5 minutes so they colour evenly, until a skewer slides in without resistance.
- Lift out the pears, turn up the heat and boil the liquid for 8–10 minutes until reduced to a glossy syrup that coats a spoon.
- Stir the vanilla into the yogurt.
- Stand each pear in a shallow bowl, add a spoonful of vanilla yogurt and pour the warm syrup over the top.
