Drunken pears in red wine and spices are a cheerful and delicate end-of-meal dessert that the whole family will enjoy and, despite everything, will leave you sober.
The syrupy base that forms during cooking is perfumed by the spices which add an intoxicating character to this simple fruit recipe known since the Middle Ages. Many medieval recipes have been handed down to us to this day, such as porrata, a leek and almond soup that pairs very well with a menu featuring drunken pears.
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very inexpensive
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 4 People
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 4 Coscia pears
- 2.5 cups red wine
- 3/4 cup water
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- to taste ground cinnamon
- 4 whole cloves
- to taste ground anise
- to taste cardamom
- 5 walnut halves (chopped)
Preparation
1 – Peel the pears and cut them in half without removing the stem. Remove the seeds and core.
2 – Place the pears in a deep skillet and cover them with the wine, the water, the sugar and the spices.
3 – Let the pears simmer for 20 minutes, turning them occasionally, until the wine and the pear juices have reduced forming a thick cream.
4 – Remove the pears from the heat when they are cooked and if you want to thicken the syrup a bit more, let it reduce in the pan for a few more minutes. At the end of cooking, strain it.
5 – Arrange the drunken pears in red wine on a serving plate and serve them with the spiced wine syrup, hot or cold.
6 – Garnish with the chopped walnuts and, if desired, serve the pears with a custard or vanilla ice cream.
