These Red Wine Poached Pears with Chocolate Sauce are a show-stopping dessert. Infused with warm spices, citrus, and vanilla, they are an aromatic and flavorful delight. Perfect for entertaining, the recipe can be fully prepared in advance, giving you more time to enjoy your guests.
For those seeking a lower fat, sugar, or potassium option, skip the chocolate and pistachios. After poaching the pears, reduce the spiced red wine until syrupy, strain, and drizzle it over the pears for an equally stunning presentation. Pair with a dollop of nonfat vanilla Greek yogurt for a lighter finish.
Dr. Blake’s Top Tip: Store the pears in the poaching liquid overnight to deepen their color and flavor. Serve the pears chilled or at room temperature, either dipped in chocolate or with the spiced wine reduction for a flexible, crowd-pleasing dessert!
Ingredients
4 pears, semi-ripe yet firm, we used Anjou, peeled
1 750 ml bottle red wine, we used pinot noir
1 one-inch knob of ginger, sliced
4 cardamom pods
3 cloves
1 star anise
1 cinnamon stick
Peel of half an orange
1 vanilla beans, split lengthwise and scraped of its seeds
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, 70%, chopped
2 tablespoons unsweetened almond milk, room temperature, plus more if needed
2 tablespoons chopped pistachios
Instructions
1 Place the pears and red wine in a large saucepan over medium high heat. If necessary, add enough water to cover the pears. Add the ginger, cardamom, cloves, star anise, cinnamon, orange peel, vanilla pod and seeds, and honey. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook until the pears are just tender when pierced with a paring knife, about 20 minutes, depending on ripeness, stirring occasionally.
2 Using a slotted spoon, remove the pears to a plate, set aside to cool and refrigerate. The pears can also be stored refrigerated in the poaching liquid until needed to enhance the color.
3 Place the chocolate in a microwave safe bowl and heat gently in multiple 15 second increments, stirring well each time, until melted. Gradually add the milk, stirring until incorporated. Adjust the consistency, one tablespoon of milk at a time, if needed. The consistency should be similar to honey. If you don’t have a microwave, gently melt the chocolate in a double boiler over simmering water.
4 Dip the cooled pears in chocolate sauce halfway up the pear and sprinkle the bottom of the pears with pistachios, place on a plate and refrigerate to set the chocolate. Alternatively, place pears on serving plates, drizzle with chocolate sauce and sprinkle with pistachios.
Notes
- Low Sodium
- Low Protein
Potassium levels
172 mg pears
151 mg bittersweet chocolate, 70%
40 mg pistachios
