Pear in red wine
6 servings
120 minutes
Pear in red wine is an exquisite dessert embodying elegance and refined taste. This recipe originated in Europe but fits beautifully into Russian culinary tradition thanks to the blend of spices and sweet wine. The juiciness of the pear is infused with aromas of vanilla, cinnamon, and star anise, while the sparkling semi-sweet Lambrusco adds a rich hue with a gentle tartness. The reduced wine sauce becomes a magnificent complement, making each spoonful of the dessert rich and layered. The presentation, with the pear standing upright, highlights its delicate aesthetics, while added vanilla ice cream completes the picture with softness and freshness. It’s the perfect dessert for a romantic dinner or an exquisite meal finale.
1
Peel the pears, keeping the stem. This action has no special meaning, except that it is believed that the pear looks nicer with the stem.
- Pears: 6 pieces
2
Pour semi-sweet Lambrusco sparkling wine into a shallow pot, split a vanilla pod in half and scrape the seeds into the pot, adding the empty pod as well. Add sugar, cinnamon, and star anise to the pot, and wait for the wine to boil before adding pears. The wine will calm down for a while, then boil vigorously again, so reduce the heat to a minimum for a gentle simmer. Leave the pot in this state for one hour and fifty minutes.
- Sparkling semi-sweet wine: 750 ml
- Vanilla: 1 piece
- Sugar: 100 g
- Cinnamon: 1 piece
- Anise (star anise): 2 pieces
- Pears: 6 pieces
3
After that, remove the pears with a slotted spoon and set aside to cool. Reduce the remaining wine in the pot until it thickens slightly. This will be the sauce.
- Sparkling semi-sweet wine: 750 ml
4
Serve pears by cutting off the bottom so they can stand upright on the plate, as it is believed they look nicer this way, drizzled with sauce and accompanied by ice cream.
- Vanilla ice cream: 1 kg