Pears Poached In Marsala Food

MARSALA-POACHED PEARS

Steps:

• Cut pears in half lengthwise and remove cores. Measure Marsala cooking wine into a small mixing bowl. Add brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg; stir to dissolve sugar.
• Melt butter in a large 12-inch skillet. Stir in Marsala mixture. Cook over medium heat until bubbly. Place pears in pan, cut side down. Cover and cook over medium-low heat 20 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand 30-45 minutes or until cool enough to serve.
• Place each pear half in a small bowl. Stir remaining sauce in pan; drizzle each serving with 1-2 teaspoons warm sauce. Top with a small scoop of ice cream, and if desired, toasted pecans. Serve immediately.

PEARS POACHED IN MARSALA

Steps:

• Peel the pears and scoop out the cores from the bottom with the point of a swivel bladed potato peeler. Immerse the pears in water mixed with two tablespoons of the lemon juice.
• Bring the Marsala to a simmer in a saucepan that will comfortably hold the pears upright. Add the sugar and cinnamon stick. Once the sugar has dissolved stand the pears up in the pan and cook gently until tender, about 15 minutes. Remove the pears from the pan, draining them well.
• Bring the Marsala mixture to a boil and cook rapidly until it is reduced to about three-fourths of a cup and is syrupy. Stir in the remaining lemon juice. Pour the syrup over the pears and cool before serving.

RED WINE POACHED PEARS WITH VANILLA BEAN CUSTARD

Steps:

• For the pears: Remove a large strip of peel from the lemon and set aside. Squeeze the juice of the lemon into a medium bowl filled with water. Peel, halve and core the pears, adding the pears to the lemon water as you work (this will prevent them from browning).
• Combine the wine, sugar, vanilla, cloves, cinnamon stick and reserved lemon peel in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil and stir until the sugar dissolves.
• Remove the pears from the lemon water and add to the wine mixture. Boil the pears until tender, 8 to 10 minutes on each side. Remove the pears from the poaching liquid to a wire rack to cool. If desired, continue to boil the poaching liquid until syrupy, about 10 minutes.
• For the vanilla bean custard sauce: Combine the cream and milk in a medium saucepan. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean and add to the cream mixture along with the scraped bean. Place over medium heat until bubbles form around the edges, then remove from the heat and remove the vanilla bean.
• Whisk together the egg yolks and sugar in a large bowl until combined. Gradually add a little of the hot cream mixture, whisking constantly until combined. Gradually add the remaining cream, whisking constantly. Return the mixture to the saucepan. Cook over low heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture coats the back of a wooden spoon, about 6 minutes. Remove the custard from the saucepan and cool slightly.
• To serve, spoon some of the custard sauce onto serving plates and top each with a pear half. Dollop with whipped cream and sprinkle with candied pecans, if desired.

POACHED PEARS WITH MARSALA, CINNAMON, AND VANILLA

Steps:

• Combine 2 cups dry Marsala, 2 cups water, sugar, cinnamon sticks, split vanilla beans, and orange peel strips in heavy large pot. Bring to boil over high heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Add peeled Bosc pears. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover pot and simmer until pears are tender, turning pears occasionally, about 40 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer pears to platter. Boil liquid in pot until reduced to 1 1/4 cups, about 12 minutes. Pour syrup over poached pears. Chill until cold, turning pears occasionally, at least 3 hours and up to 1 day.
• Divide poached pears among 6 shallow bowls. Strain syrup; discard solids. Drizzle syrup over pears. Top each with dollop of mascarpone, if desired, and serve.
• Italian cream cheese, sold at Italian markets and many supermarkets.

MARSALA-POACHED PEARS WITH CINNAMON

Steps:

• Peel pears using a vegetable peeler; leave stems attached.
• Pour Marsala into a medium pot with a cover. Add 2 cups water and 6 tablespoons cinnamon-sugar. Put pears in pot and bring to a boil. Lower heat to medium and cover pot. Cook until tender, stirring occasionally, about 45 minutes depending on firmness of pears.
• Remove cover and let pears and liquid cool to room temperature. Remove pears with a slotted spoon and put them upright in a bowl. Bring liquid in pot to a boil and cook over medium-high heat until reduced to 1 1/2 cups. Pour over pears and refrigerate until cold.
• Serve pears with their syrup. Sprinkle with remaining cinnamon-sugar.

PEARS POACHED IN SPICED WINE

Steps:

• Heat wine, sugar, water, peppercorns, bay leaves, rosemary, thyme, cinnamon, vanilla bean and lemon zest to a boil in a large saucepan over high heat.
• Meanwhile, remove the pear cores with a melon baller.
• Add pears to saucepan; reduce heat to a simmer. Poach the pears until tender enough for a knife to pierce them without resistance, at least 20 minutes, longer if the pears are less ripe.
• Let pears cool in the poaching liquid, about 15 minutes.
• Place the pears on a serving platter.
• Strain the poaching liquid through a sieve into a large saucepan; discard the solids. Heat the liquid to a boil; reduce heat to low. Cook until reduced to a thick syrup, about 45 minutes. Let cool slightly.
• Serve the pears drizzled with the warm syrup.