Pears Poached in Port with Cranberries
This is a naturally gluten free dessert perfect for entertaining. It's impressive on it's own but would be excellent with a cheese course or as part of a charcuterie board.
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Servings: 6 pears
Ingredients
- 8 whole allspice
- 2 inch piece of fresh ginger, cut into ¼ inch thick slices
- 1 cinnamon stick (about 2 inches)
- 1 strip orange zest (4 inches by 1 inch)
- 3 cups cranberry juice cocktail
- 2 cups Tawny Port (or Ruby Port)
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- ½ cup sugar
- 6 firm-ripe Bosc or Anjou pears with stems
Instructions
- Put all ingredients except pears in a large saucepan. Bring mixture to a boil, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, 15 minutes.
- Peel pears, leaving stems intact, and gently slide them into poaching liquid. Simmer, uncovered, gently turning from time to time, until tender, 20-30 minutes depending on ripeness.
- With a slotted spoon carefully transfer pears to a bowl.
- Continue to boil the poaching liquid until reduced to about 1½ cups, about 10 minutes. Discard allspice, ginger, cinnamon and zest.
- Serve pears at room temperature with a bit of syrup.