Serves 8
Ingredients
1 to 1½ bottles robust Italian red wine
rind of 1 lemon and 1 orange
2 cloves
½ cinnamon stick
4 peppercorns
1 bay leaf
200 g sugar
8 pears (Conference or Williams)
Method
Preheat the oven to 180° C. Place all the ingredients except the pears in a pan with a little extra water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 15 minutes.
Wash the pears, remove the core from underneath with a pomme Parisienne- bore (or with a teaspoon), leave the stalk on.
Place the pears in the pan, stalks pointing up. Bake in the oven without a lid for 1½ hours. In the beginning the pears should be almost covered with wine, later this will evaporate, leaving a sort of caramelized skin on the top of the pears.
Take the pears out of the cooking juice carefully so as not to break the skin, and place on a serving dish. Strain off the cooking juices and reduce until the syrupy in texture with a good rich flavour. Allow to cool slightly and serve with the pears.
This dish may be eaten hot or cold. Delicious served with ice cream or mascarpone flavoured with vanilla.
We, the Amsterdam Flavours chefs, hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do. If you have any questions on how to prepare it or just want to send us your feedback, you can reach us here Contact Amsterdam Flavours