Pears with wine and chocolate

Name: Pears with wine and chocolate
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 65 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: Bartlett pears not ripe 1.8 lbs; Red wine novello 2.1 cups; Water 1 ¼ cup; Sugar ¾ cup; Star anise 2; Vanilla bean 1; Cinnamon sticks 1; Black pepper 10; Fresh liquid cream 0.6 cup; Dark chocolate 85% 3.5 oz

Difficulty: Easy
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 35 min
Serving: 4 persone
Cost: Low

PRESENTATION

Pears and chocolate: a perfect combination, experimented with many times in kitchens around the world! A soft cake or a plumcake are perfect for a snack or breakfast, while a cheesecake is divine to serve as a dessert. But if after dinner you're undecided about whether to treat yourself to a dessert or have some fruit, we propose a delicious compromise: pears with wine and chocolate, an even richer variant of the typical pears in red wine! To be enjoyed with a spoon, they are fresh and delicious... Williams pears are certainly the most suitable variety, as they are ideal for syruping and will remain firm and juicy even after cooking! For the wine, we recommend choosing a young wine that will enhance the taste of the pears with its strong fruity and berry notes without overwhelming their flavor. If you prefer to omit the wine, try cooked pears or Pears Belle Helene, an elegant French dessert that inspired this recipe!

INGREDIENTS

Bartlett pears 1.8 lbs (800 g) - not ripe

Red wine 2.1 cups (500 g) - novello

Water 1 ¼ cup (300 g)

Sugar ¾ cup (165 g)

Star anise 2

Vanilla bean 1

Cinnamon sticks 1

Black pepper 10

for the chocolate sauce: Fresh liquid cream 0.6 cup (150 g); Dark chocolate 85% 3.5 oz (100 g)

Preparation

How to prepare Pears with wine and chocolate

To prepare the pears with wine and chocolate sauce, start with the pears. After washing the pears, core them using an apple corer, being careful not to pierce the outer part or the part with the stem (1-2). Peel them, leaving only the part at the top that forms a crown around the stem 3.

Cut the vanilla pod in half 4 and move to the stove. Place a tall, narrow pot on the stove, and pour in the wine 5, the water 6,

the sugar 7, the vanilla pod 8, and the star anise 9.

Finally, add the cinnamon and black pepper 10. Turn on the stove and bring everything to a boil, stirring occasionally 11. Submerge the pears 12, keeping them close together so they stand upright and color evenly.

Turn down the heat a bit, cover with the lid 13, and cook for about 20 minutes: at the end of cooking, touch them with your fingers without burning yourself; they should feel soft but not mushy. Then carefully drain them 14 and let the sauce reduce until it becomes like a syrup. Be careful not to burn the sauce 15.

Strain the reduction 16 and set it aside to cool at room temperature; also set the pears aside. Meanwhile, prepare the chocolate sauce. Chop the chocolate 17 and put it in a bowl. In a saucepan, heat the cream until it almost boils. Then pour the hot cream into the bowl with the chocolate 18

and mix well with a spatula 19 until you get a smooth ganache 20. Once the sauce is ready, proceed with plating. On a serving plate, brush a bit of the red wine reduction 21,

then glaze a pear with the chocolate, placing a bowl underneath to catch any excess 22, and place it on the plate 23. Repeat with all the others, and your pears with wine and chocolate sauce are ready to be enjoyed 24!

Storage

We recommend consuming the pears immediately. Alternatively, you can store the cooked pears in a bowl in the refrigerator, covered with plastic wrap. The reduction can be stored in the same way. Freezing is not recommended.