Poached Pears

don't you just love the bright red color of these poached pears

The other day my daughter was surprised to see pears on my kitchen counter and asked me what I intend to make with them. She knows I am not a fan of pears because of their grainy texture, although I enjoy snacking on well-chilled Asian pears. Sometimes I buy pears for making jellied candies or pâte de fruits. This time I bought them because of their very bright red color. I love the color red and I have a few bright red kitchen items, they make food preparation a little bit, what else, bright.:=)

These pears called Starkrimson have very smooth skin, are large-ish and when fully ripe they turn bright red all over. They are also less grainy and their slight floral scent and flavor make them acceptable to me. And they will definitely look pretty in gift baskets or fruit bowls. I poached 3 of them in sweet red wine and sliced beet to maintain the red color of the fruit. The beet does not alter the flavor of the pears and gives the poached fruits its sweetness and of course its vivid color. The color is only skin deep but you have to agree they look beautiful and they're yummy too, specially with homemade Irish Cream frozen yogurt.

Poached Pears
3 large Starkrimson or red Bartlett pears
3 cups sweet red wine
1 large beet, sliced thin
1 two-inch cinnamon stick
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoon sugar
parchment paper

• Peel the pears, cut into halves or quarters leaving stem on, and then core. Put the rest of the ingredients in a medium saucepan and heat until boiling. Reduce heat to low and add peeled pears. Cut the parchment into a round the same size as the saucepan. Cover the pears with the paper and poach for 45 minutes or until tender.
• Remove parchment and discard. Remove the pears and transfer into a serving dish or bowl. Boil the poaching liquid until syrupy, about 15 minutes. Strain and discard solids. Pour syrup over the pears.

Starkrimson pears

the beet that my heart skipped

This is my entry to this week's LaPiS which you may have guessed is RED. Check out the other entries by clicking the button at the top of the page.