Pere Cotte nel Vino Rosso Pears Poached in Red Wine

In Piemonte, the preferred pear to make this dish is the martin sec variety.

Martin Sec is a small, irregular pear grown in the province of Cuneo. It features a thin, rusty yellow skin, with a red blush where it has been exposed to sunlight and a firm, yellow pulp. It is crunchy and slightly tannic.

The martin sec is harvested during the second half of October and is not suited for fresh consumption. It is a classic baking pear, used in local Piedmontese recipes such as cognà, flans, and pears with red wine. The martin sec pear is nearly impossible to find outside of the region. For this reason, I chose to use a red pear or Anjou pear.

Red Anjou pears, are a European winter variety and are members of the Rosaceae or rose family. Also known as D’Anjou and Red Danjou, Red Anjou pears are close relatives of the green anjou and the only true difference between the two is the color of the fruit’s skin.

Whichever pears you choose must be sweet and full of flavor. They must be firm and crisp to maintain their shape during the cooking process.

Use a good quality red wine to ensure an enhanced flavor. I chose a full-bodied, slightly sweet red blend as the poaching liquid for my pears.

Ingredients:

• 6 firm pears, peeled left whole with stems on

• 1 cinnamon stick

• 5 tablespoons of fine granulated sugar

• 3 cups of good red wine

• 1/2 cup Mascarpone cheese to make the serving sauce

Directions:

Slice a small amount from the bottom of each pear so that they will have a flat surface to sit on allowing them to easily sit up straight.

Stand all the pears upright in a deep pot, add the cinnamon stick and sprinkle the sugar evenly over the pears.

Pour the red wine over the pears. Place on the stovetop and bring to a boil. Once the wine has begun to boil reduce the heat to low and cover with a lid.

Simmer the pears turning them often until the pears have softened and absorbed the wine completely through.

When the pears have finished cooking remove them from the heat and transfer them to a bowl to cool.

I made a sauce by mixing mascarpone cheese with a little sugar, a touch of vanilla, and some heavy cream to thin the sauce to the consistency I wanted for plating my pears. I used a hand whisk to blend the sauce.

This is a simple and delicious dessert that would pair well with any holiday meal. If you would like to add something new to your holiday meal to make it extra special this dessert will be a standout that your friends and family be talking about for weeks afterward.

Alla prossima!

Buon cibo e buon appetito!

Chef John