Recipe – Red Wine Poached Pear with Red Wine Granita

Directions

• Prep the pears

  • Peel the pears, leaving stems on if possible (it looks great and makes them easier to handle).

  • To keep them from browning while you work, hold them in a bowl of water with a squeeze of lemon.

• Build the poaching liquid

  • In a saucepan wide enough to fit the pears snugly, combine: wine, sugar, orange peel, lemon peel, cinnamon, star anise (if using), vanilla bean, and salt.

  • Add just enough water so the pears will be mostly submerged once added. (A snug fit means you’ll need less liquid.)

• Poach gently

  • Bring the liquid to a bare simmer (no hard boiling).

  • Add pears. If they float above the poaching liquid, lay a small plate on top of the pears, to keep them in contact with the liquid.

  • Simmer gently 20–35 minutes, turning pears every 5 minutes, until a knife slides in with only slight resistance. Timing depends on pear variety and ripeness.

• Cool in the liquid (important)

  • Turn off heat. Let pears cool in the poaching liquid for at least 30 minutes (or refrigerate overnight). This is where they really take on color and flavor.

• Strain and reserve the liquid

  • Remove pears carefully and refrigerate them.

  • Strain poaching liquid into a clean pot. Discard peels/spices.

• Red wine granita (from a reduction of the poaching liquid)

  Granita works best when the base is well-seasoned and a little sweeter than you think, because freezing mutes sweetness and aroma.

  1. Reduce the poaching liquid

     • Bring the strained liquid to a simmer and reduce to about 350–450 ml (roughly 1½–2 cups).

     • You’re aiming for a flavor that reads as “red wine syrup,” not thin mulled wine.

• Adjust before freezing

  • Taste the reduction (once it’s not scorching hot):

    • If it tastes flat: add a pinch of salt and/or a squeeze of lemon.

    • If it’s too dry/tannic: add 1–3 Tbsp sugar (dissolve fully).

    • If it’s too sweet or jammy: add a small splash of water or wine, then simmer 2 minutes.

  • Cool completely.

• Freeze and scrape

  • Pour into a shallow metal or glass pan (bigger surface area = better crystals).

  • Freeze, scraping with a fork every 30–45 minutes for about 3–4 hours, until you’ve got fluffy, snowy crystals.

  • Hold in the freezer (it’ll firm up); refresh with a fork right before serving.

  • If you plan to pipe cream into the pears, keep the pears cold and the granita very cold—this dessert melts fast once plated.

• Chantilly (and coring/filling the pears)

  1. Core the pears

     • Use a small melon baller, paring knife, or apple corer.

     • Before coring, cut the top 3/4 of an inch below the stem, and reserve to replace later as the "hat"

     • Make a cavity big enough for a generous fill, without punching through the sides.

  2. Whip the cream

     • Whip cold cream with powdered sugar and vanilla to medium peaks (holds shape but still silky).

     • Transfer to a piping bag with a star tip (or a zip-top bag with the corner snipped).

  3. Fill

     • Pipe chantilly into the pear cavities. Chill pears until ready to serve.

• Assembly (per plate)

  1. Granita base: Spoon a generous bed of red wine granita in the center of a cold plate or bowl.

  2. Pear: Set a filled pear upright on the granita.

  3. Finish: Add a little extra granita around the pear. Garnish with toasted nuts, chocolate shavings, orange zest, or a tiny pinch of flaky salt.

  4. Serve immediately: This is a “plate and go” dessert.

• Make it yours (riffs + variations)

  Sometimes, this can be the best part!

  • Spice profile swaps

    • Go peppercorn + bay leaf instead of cinnamon/anise for a more savory, grown-up edge.

    • Add a small knob of fresh ginger, or a few shakes of ground ginger for lift.

  • Citrus + herbal

    • Orange peel + a few sprigs of thyme in the poaching liquid is quietly brilliant.

    • Finish with grated lemon zest on the chantilly.

  • Boozier granita

    • Add 1–2 Tbsp brandy, pear eau-de-vie, or amaro to the cooled reduction before freezing (easy goes it on the high-octane stuff though, too much alcohol prevents freezing).

  • Chocolate, of course

    • Fold a spoonful of cocoa into the chantilly (or dust the finished plate with cocoa and add shaved dark chocolate).

  • Textural upgrades

    • Add a quick cookie crumble (speculoos, shortbread, or toasted brioche crumbs) under or over the granita.

    • Swap nuts for candied walnuts or toasted hazelnuts.

  • Make it lighter

    • Replace chantilly with Greek yogurt + honey + lemon zest (still pipe-able if you whisk it smooth and chill).

  • It's definitely a dinner-party cheat

    • Poach pears and make granita the day before. Whip chantilly and fill pears up to a few hours ahead.

    • Plate straight from the fridge/freezer and serve fast.