Poires Pochées au Vin Rouge

When the pear trees of the Rhône Valley have given their last fruit, when the autumn winds strip the branches bare, the poires pochées emerge from French kitchens like jewels from a velvet box. This is autumn cooking at its most elegant.

 

Ingredients:

6 firm pears, peeled with stems intact

750ml red wine (Côtes du Rhône)

200g sugar

2 cinnamon sticks

1 vanilla bean, split

4 cloves

Strip of orange peel

Crème fraîche for serving

 

Choose pears that are firm—Bosc or Bartlett work best. Peel carefully, leaving the stems as handles. Core from the bottom if desired, though some prefer to leave them whole.

 

Combine wine, sugar, and aromatics in a pot large enough to hold the pears in a single layer. Bring to a gentle simmer, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Add the pears and poach for 1-2 hours, turning occasionally, until they are tender and stained deep burgundy.

 

Remove pears and reduce the liquid to a syrup. Serve the pears standing upright in shallow bowls, the syrup poured around them. A dollop of crème fraîche completes the picture.