Pears, the friendliest fruit...poached in port to perfection!!

Pears, the friendliest fruit…poached in port to perfection!!

Desserts / September 9, 2014

Long ago, before TV dinners were deemed bad, before we wore helmets when riding bikes, and before anyone talked about GMO’s I had a very small list of foods I wouldn’t eat. There wasn’t a good reason. I wasn’t protesting, allergic or trying to use my choice as leverage to stay up late. Picky I wasn’t, and I would try almost everything….except pears.

I know that’s random. Pears are so harmless! So friendly!! We refer to faces as pear shaped, diamonds as pear shaped, even tushies as pear shaped. It is definitely something that I should have liked! Maybe it was the mushy texture. Or what I perceived as a perfumed taste. Whatever the reason, I steered clear of them for the longest time.

That is not the case today. They’re one of my favorite foods!!! When I’m digging into a pear the event is usually accompanied by audible sounds of joy. Try them on cereal, or toast. Atop ice cream, as beautiful champagne colored jam, even when they’re cubed and crammed into a can of fruit cocktail they’re still cute.

The other day while browsing one of the local Farmer’s Markets, I happened upon a gem of a pear, the Stark Crimson. If I could, I’d skewer this variety with wire and wear them around my neck, they’re so pretty, so regal, and so SWEET. And that stem! It is something out of a romance novel; like the rudder of a sailing ship, the cane of a Hobbit or even the fencepost in a Twain novel. I guess I’m trying to say it is just plain amazing. That’s why I couldn’t wait to create a fabulatistic dessert to showcase its charms.

My PORT WINE POACHED CRIMSON PEARS WITH SOUR CREAM AND BROWN SUGAR came together in less than an hour and I’m definitely making this for my next dinner party. Whatever your stance is on pears, I know one thing, wear a helmet because you’ll have to wrestle all the guests for the first amazing bite!

Port Wine Poached Crimson Pears with Sour Cream & Peaches

SERVES 4

Ingredients:

2 ripe Stark Crimson Pears
1/3 C fine Port wine
1/8 C water
3 plus 2 T brown sugar
1 t cinnamon
1 T butter
Drop or 2 of vanilla extract
Zest from ½ lemon
Juice from half a lemon
½ C sour cream
Small slices of peach
4 Lemon thyme sprigs

Direction:

Cut pears in half lengthwise. Gently dig out the seeds in the center
Rub the lemon half over each exposed pear half.
Mix the sour cream with the 2 T brown sugar. Set aside.
In a small bowl, combine the port wine, water, cinnamon, 3 T of brown sugar. Butter the bottom of a small, shallow baking dish. Place each of the pear halves, cut side up in the dish. Pour the port wine mixture over the pears. Put a small pad of butter in the indentation of each indentation where the seeds used to be. Bake uncovered at 375 degrees for 25 minutes and then 10 minutes at 400 degrees. Let cool for 15 minutes.
To place nestle each halve over the port wine syrup, spoon some of the sour cream mixture on top, add a small slice of peach, and dust with the lemon thyme.