flipBurgundy pears poached in wine and spices
Burgundy pears poached in wine and spices
Why this dish? Buffon loved the produce of his kitchen garden and orchards at Montbard. Pears poached in Burgundy wine, perfumed with cinnamon and clove, elegantly closed his suppers while showcasing the fruits and wine of his land.
Firm pears simmered in red wine sweetened with honey and scented with spices, until tender and ruby, served warm with their reduced syrup. A simple and seigneurial entremets.
To close the supper, nothing equals the pears from my orchards, which I have gently poached in red wine with a little honey, a cinnamon stick, and two cloves. They take on a beautiful ruby color and become perfectly tender. Taste them warm, drizzled with their syrup: it is an honest sweetness that ruins neither health nor purse, and marries the two glories of Burgundy, fruit and wine.
- •Firm pears — a few (fruit)
- •Red Burgundy wine — enough to cover (poaching bath)
- •Honey — to discretion (sweetness)
- •Cinnamon, cloves — a little (spices)
- •Lemon zest — one strip (flavor)
Burgundy pears poached in wine and spices
Firm pears simmered in red wine sweetened with honey and scented with spices, until tender and ruby, served warm with their reduced syrup. A simple and seigneurial entremets.
Why this dish? Buffon loved the produce of his kitchen garden and orchards at Montbard. Pears poached in Burgundy wine, perfumed with cinnamon and clove, elegantly closed his suppers while showcasing the fruits and wine of his land.
To close the supper, nothing equals the pears from my orchards, which I have gently poached in red wine with a little honey, a cinnamon stick, and two cloves. They take on a beautiful ruby color and become perfectly tender. Taste them warm, drizzled with their syrup: it is an honest sweetness that ruins neither health nor purse, and marries the two glories of Burgundy, fruit and wine.
Ingredients (period version)
- Firm pears — a few (fruit)
- Red Burgundy wine — enough to cover (poaching bath)
- Honey — to discretion (sweetness)
- Cinnamon, cloves — a little (spices)
- Lemon zest — one strip (flavor)
Ingredients
- Firm pears (Conference, Comice) — 4 (fruit)
- Red Burgundy wine — 50 cl (poaching bath)
- Honey — 4 tbsp (sweetness)
- Cinnamon stick — 1 (spice)
- Cloves — 2 (spice)
- Lemon zest — 1 strip (flavor)
Method
- Peel the pears, keeping the stems. In a saucepan, combine wine, honey, cinnamon, cloves, and zest; bring to a simmer.
- Submerge the pears and poach over low heat for 20 to 30 minutes, turning them, until tender and colored.
- Remove the pears; reduce the syrup by half until it coats a spoon.
- Serve the pears warm or cold, drizzled with the strained spiced syrup.
How it was made : Poaching fruits in wine and spices is a practice inherited from the Middle Ages that persisted at aristocratic tables in the 18th century. Spices, still a marker of wealth, signaled a quality dish. Honey or sugar provided sweetness.
The contemporary twist : Serve each pear upright in a shallow bowl, mirror syrup around, with a quenelle of vanilla mascarpone on the side.
Sources : Menon, La Cuisinière bourgeoise, 1746
Buffon · Charactorium
