Pears poached in red wine

This week we were going to write about the Harringay Sunday market and a Green Lanes Turkish restaurant. But after a Saturday night Supperclub we were tired, we couldn’t find the market and when we got to the restaurant we forgot to take any photos!

So instead we decide to write about a light, fat-free pudding we made this week. This was a recipe born from necessity, we had bashed-up pears which needed to be rescued with some tender loving care – pears gently poached in red wine and spices.

You need:

4 pears
1/2 bottle of red wine
500ml water
1 stem ginger plus a spoonful of ginger syrup
1 fresh bay leaf
2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
250g sugar

Method:

Peel the pears, but leave the stalks intact. Even if the skins are a bit battered and bruised, they’ll look better once they’re peeled.

Add all the ingredients to a large pan, make sure the pears are covered. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer. Turn the pears occasionally to make sure they poach on all sides.

Poach the pears for 10-20 minutes until they are tender. The cooking time will depend on the ripeness of the pears.

Remove the pears and set aside to cool. Continue cooking the wine liquid until it has reduced by half. Then pour the sauce over the pears and serve. The pears were delicious as they were, but you could add mascarpone, thick cream or chilled yoghurt to make this a truly luxurious dessert. Simple dessert but load of fun!