Red Wine-Poached Pears with Mascarpone
Pears simmered in spiced red wine until the color bleeds all the way through, then topped with mascarpone for a dinner-party dessert that needs no oven.
- Serves
- 4
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 35 min
- Written
Method
-
Combine the wine, sugar, cinnamon, cloves, and orange zest in a pot just wide enough to hold the pears standing up; bring to a simmer, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
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Stand the pears in the liquid, cover, and simmer gently, turning them every few minutes, until a knife slides into the flesh with no resistance, 25 to 30 minutes.
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Lift the pears out onto a plate and raise the heat under the liquid, reducing it until it coats the back of a spoon.
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Pour the syrup over the pears and chill until fully cold, at least 2 hours.
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Whip the mascarpone with a spoonful of the cold syrup and the honey until it loosens into a soft dollop.
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Stand each pear in a shallow bowl, spoon over the remaining syrup, and top with the mascarpone.
Notes
Pick pears that are ripe enough to smell sweet but still firm to the squeeze — anything soft will collapse before the color has time to travel to the center. Bosc holds its shape best; Anjou works if that’s what’s at the market.
The syrup keeps in the fridge for a week and only gets better, so poach the pears a day ahead if you’re serving them for company. No mascarpone on hand, crème fraîche or a scoop of vanilla ice cream does the same job of cutting the sweetness.