Poached Pears in Mulled Red Wine

Poached Pears...how classic. So this is a boozy, yet delicious dessert that reaches back to MEDIEVAL TIMES. As people drank wine constantly for the lack of clean water and pears were a sign of fertility and nobility, this was eaten often at large banquets. I can also imagine feeding this blood-red dessert to the king's soldiers before a battle, getting them into the mindset to fight and slaughter! For those of you spending the night watching Game of Thrones, or you just want to try something different for dessert, then this one is for you!

How do you make it? Read the recipe as follows.

POACHED PEARS IN MULLED RED WINE (serves 3-4)

The Ingredients
3-4 pears (I like red pears) peeled with stems still intact
2 1/2 cups dry red wine, preferably Cabernet Sauvignon
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 Tablespoon mulling spices ( cinnamon stick pieces, cloves, all spice)
zest of a small orange


The recipe
1. After peeling the pears, cut a small slice off the bottom of each so that they can sit flat on the cutting board.
2. Add wine, sugar and mulling spices to a pot with a large wide bottom.
3. Bring the wine mixture to a boil, then reduce to simmer. As Anne Burrell says in her shows, BTB and RTS.
4. Place pears in the wine mixture so that they sit up.
5. Simmer the pears for 45 minutes or until very tender, turning every 15 minutes or so.
6. After 45 minutes or so, take the pears out.
7. Bring the simmered wine mixture to a low boil and let reduce until thick and syrupy. What you are left with is a blood-red deliciously dreamy and thick sauce to pour over the pears.
8. Place pears in serving bowls or on a platter and pour the sumptuous sauce over the pears so that they look red and glistening.
9. Serve immediately and hog all the pears for yourself.