Pears in dried cherry and port sauce
4 servings
30 minutes
This exquisite Italian dessert combines the tenderness of baked 'Anjou' pears with the rich sweet-sour note of a dried cherry and port wine sauce. Such desserts, where fruits are stewed in aromatic alcoholic beverages, are believed to originate from ancient Italian culinary traditions. In this dish, port wine adds depth of flavor while anise provides a spicy warmth. Baked in parchment, the pears retain their juiciness and take on a caramel hue as they soak up the sauce. It pairs perfectly with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or crunchy almond cookies. This dessert will not only delight gourmets but also serve as an elegant conclusion to any dinner.
1
In a saucepan, mix port wine and cherry. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 5 minutes. Then add sugar and lemon juice. Cool down.
- Port: 0.8 glass
- Dried cherries: 0.3 glass
- Brown sugar: 1 tablespoon
- Lemon juice: 1 tablespoon
2
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Prepare 4 pieces of parchment.
3
Peel the pears, cut them in half lengthwise, and remove the core. Then slice them lengthwise into 10-12 pieces, without cutting all the way through at the tail.
- Anjou pears: 4 pieces
4
Place 2 halves on parchment, pressing lightly. Slightly fold the edges to form boats. Drizzle with the port wine mixture and add anise. Wrap the parchment well and place on a baking sheet.
- Anise (star anise): 4 pieces
- Port: 0.8 glass
- Dried cherries: 0.3 glass
5
Bake for 10-12 minutes until the parchment puffs up.
6
Arrange on plates and slightly open.