Pears And Figs Poached In Red Wine Recipes

Steps:

• Combine first 7 ingredients in heavy large saucepan. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves and mixture comes to simmer. Add pears and return mixture to simmer. Reduce heat and simmer slowly until pears are tender when pierced with knife, about 25 minutes. Transfer pears to plate. Boil liquid in saucepan until reduced to 3 cups, about 20 minutes. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill pears in poaching liquid. Before serving, rewarm over medium-low heat until pears are heated through.)
• Arrange 1 warm pear and 1 scoop of ice cream on each of 4 plates. Drizzle some poaching liquid over. Sprinkle with biscotti crumbs. Garnish with orange peel strips, if desired, and serve.

Steps:

• Trim and halve the figs, place in a saucepan with the wine, sugar, salt and pepper, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until the wine is reduced by half and slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the thyme sprigs. Serve on top of an assertive cheese, such as Manchego, blue, Taleggio, or a triple cream spread over bread slices.

Steps:

• Combine wine, honey, and crème de cassis in a medium saucepan. Using the tip of a paring knife, scrape seeds from vanilla bean halves into wine and add pods.Add cinnamon stick and raisins and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, fill a bowl with water and add lemon juice. Peel, quarter and core pears and drop into the acidulated water. (This prevents the pears from discoloring.)
• Drain pears and add to simmering wine. Bring back to a simmer, cover and simmer 10 to 15 minutes more, until pears areslightly translucent. Turn off heat and remove cinnamon stick. Add almonds. Serve warm or chilled.

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, combine the first eight ingredients. Stir in figs. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 35-45 minutes or until the figs are tender. Remove figs and set aside., Bring poaching liquid to a boil; cook until liquid is reduced to about 1/2 cup. Strain into a small bowl; add figs. Cool. Serve with ice cream or yogurt if desired.

Steps:

• In a 4-quart saucepan, combine wine, sugar, orange juice, zest, cinnamon stick and cloves. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. While liquid is simmering, peel pears, leaving stem intact and being careful not to blemish the flesh of the pears. Slice 1/2-inch off the bottom of the pears to create a flat bottom. Gently place pears in poaching liquid, cover, and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, turning every 5 minutes to ensure even color, until pears are cooked but still firm. Remove saucepan from flame, uncover and cool with pears upright in pan. Once cool, cover and chill in refrigerator at least 3 hours or up to 24 hours, turning occasionally, if desired. Gently remove pears from liquid and allow to come to room temperature. Meanwhile, reduce liquid by about half over a medium-high flame for 15 minutes, until liquid is thicker and slightly syrupy. Remove from flame and let liquid come to room temperature. Drizzle each pear with 2 tablespoons syrup and serve.

Steps:

• Halve the vanilla pod lengthways, scrape out the black seeds and put in a large saucepan with the wine, sugar, cinnamon and thyme. Cut each piece of pod into three long thin strips, add to pan, then lower in the pears.
• Poach the pears, covered, for 20-30 mins, making sure they are covered in the wine. The cooking time will very much depend on the ripeness of your pears - they should be tender all the way through when pierced with a cocktail stick. You can make these up to 2 days ahead and chill.
• Take the pears from the pan, then boil the liquid to reduce it by half so that it's syrupy. Serve each pear with the cooled syrup, a strip of vanilla, a piece of cinnamon and a small thyme sprig.

Steps:

• Combine wine, water, sugar, cinnamon, peppercorns, honey, and vanilla bean in a large saucepan. Squeeze in lemon juice, using a strainer to catch seeds, and toss in one of the halves. Bring to a boil, lower heat, and simmer for 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, peel pears carefully, leaving stems intact. Place in hot poaching liquid and cover with a lid slightly smaller than the pot to keep pears submerged.
• Turn heat down to a bare simmer and poach pears for 20 to 30 minutes, or until tender (if the pears are not ripe, it could take up to an hour). Turn pears halfway through cooking time. Let cool slightly, then transfer pears to a bowl. Simmer poaching liquid until reduced by half
• Cut figs in half and add to liquid cut side down. Keep heat at a simmer, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. (If using dried figs, poach until tender, 15 to 20 minutes.)
• Carefully transfer figs cut side down to the bowl with the pears, and pour poaching liquid over all. Let cool and chill at least 4 hours, or overnight.
• With a slotted spoon, remove fruit from liquid and place 1 pear and 2 fig halves on each plate. Reduce poaching liquid over medium heat until thick enough to coat a spoon. Serve hot or cold with the fruit. Accompany with a few cookies, whipped cream, or a sweet dessert cheese.