Pears Poached in Wine

Serves 8

Pears Poached in Wine 1 (750-mi) bottle red wine
Juice of l lemon
1 vanilla bean, split
1-1/2 cups sugar
8 pears

I use any pear that is good at the time. Usually I use Comice, but Bosc look very nice because they stand up high. I have also used Bartlett and Anjou and even Seckel, not the tiny ones but the slightly bigger ones.

In a saucepan large enough to bold all the pears, combine the wine, lemon juice, the vanilla bean, the sugar, and enough water to cover. Cover the pan and cook until the sugar has dissolved.

While that is going on bring a pot of water to a simmer. Blanch the pears for a minute or so, then immediately drop into cold water. Peel the skins off with your fingers or a small knife, leaving the stems in place.

Set the pears upright in the wine syrup and simmer until they are just tender. Use a wooden spoon to remove them from the pot so they don't bruise. Place them on a serving platter with sides to hold the liquid and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Raise the heat under the syrup and boil it until it is reduced by half. Let it cool to room temperature, then spoon it over the pears. Keep basting the pears over and over with the syrup. It will coat the pears beautifully and makes them all shiny and glazed.

Remove the pears from the refrigerator about 5 minutes before you are going to serve them so the syrup has a chance to get a little runny again.

Cooking for Madam
Recipes and Reminiscences from the
Home of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis
By Marta Sgubin and Nancy Nicholas
Scribner
Hardcover, $30.00
ISBN: 0-684-85005-2
Recipe Reprinted by permission.