Poached pears with pepper

6 servings

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
6 smalls Firm-ripe pears; abt. 2 lbs. preferably Comice or Anjou
750 millilitres Bottle dry red wine
⅓ cup Sugar
2 teaspoons Black or white peppercorns
½ pint Whipping cream

Directions

Pare the pears, leaving stems intact. With paring knife or vegetable peeler, remove as much of the cores as possible from the blossom ends.

Place wine and sugar in a non-corrodible pan just large enough to hold the pears. Cook, stirring occasionally, over high heat until sugar is just dissolved. Reduce heat to medium and add pears and peppercorns.

Simmer pears, turning them occasionally, until they are tender, about 25 minutes. Remove from heat and let them cool to room temperature, then transfer the pears to a serving dish. Strain poaching liquid and boil until it is reduced by half. Cool to room temperature.

Whip the cream to soft peaks, with a little sugar if desired. Chill the cream for a few minutes or as long as 2 hours. Pour poaching liquid over pears and serve the whipped cream on the side.

From Susan Belsinger and Carolyn Dille's "Peppercorns Around the World" article in "The Herb Companion." Dec. 1992/Jan. 1993, Vol. 5, No. 2. Pg. 48. Posted by Cathy Harned.

From: Cathy Harned Date: 09-15-94

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