Pears in Wine and Honey (Pear Compost)
Pears poached in wine and honey, scented with spices, which keep well and are enjoyed as a sweet end to the meal. A medieval way of taming the cold season.
Pears poached in wine and honey, scented with spices, which keep well and are enjoyed as a sweet end to the meal. A medieval way of taming the cold season.
See these pears, friend: in autumn, when the orchard bends under fruit, one cannot eat everything at once. So we cook them gently in wine with plenty of honey, cinnamon, and a little ginger, until they become dark and tender. Thus kept in a pot, they last through the long winter months, and we delight in them when the orchard is bare. It is simple sweetness, but it gladdens after a meal of meat.
- •Firm pears — a basketful (fruit)
- •Wine (preferably red) — enough to cover (poaching liquid)
- •Honey — generous (sweetness and preservation)
- •Cinnamon — a stick (spice)
- •Ginger — a slice (spice)
- •Verjuice — a splash (acidity)
Pears in Wine and Honey (Pear Compost)
Pears poached in wine and honey, scented with spices, which keep well and are enjoyed as a sweet end to the meal. A medieval way of taming the cold season.
Why this dish? The medieval "compost" — fruits and vegetables preserved to last through winter — provided sweets long after the harvest. In Chrétien's Champagne, pears from the orchards were kept this way for the months without fresh fruit.
See these pears, friend: in autumn, when the orchard bends under fruit, one cannot eat everything at once. So we cook them gently in wine with plenty of honey, cinnamon, and a little ginger, until they become dark and tender. Thus kept in a pot, they last through the long winter months, and we delight in them when the orchard is bare. It is simple sweetness, but it gladdens after a meal of meat.
Ingredients (period version)
- Firm pears — a basketful (fruit)
- Wine (preferably red) — enough to cover (poaching liquid)
- Honey — generous (sweetness and preservation)
- Cinnamon — a stick (spice)
- Ginger — a slice (spice)
- Verjuice — a splash (acidity)
Ingredients
- Firm pears (Conference, Comice) — 6 (fruit)
- Red wine — 500 ml (poaching)
- Honey — 6 tbsp (sweetness)
- Cinnamon stick — 1 (spice)
- Fresh ginger — 2 slices (spice)
- Verjuice (or grape juice + splash of vinegar) — 2 tbsp (acidity)
Method
- Peel the pears, keeping the stems; leave them whole.
- In a saucepan, combine wine, honey, cinnamon, ginger, and verjuice; bring to a simmer.
- Submerge the pears and poach for 25 to 35 minutes over low heat, until tender and colored.
- Remove the pears; reduce the syrup by half until it coats a spoon.
- Pack the pears in a sterilized jar, cover with hot syrup, seal; store cool and serve warm or cold.
How it was made : "Compost" (from cum-positum, "put together") referred to fruits or roots preserved in wine, honey, or spiced vinegar. It is the distant ancestor of our "compote." Honey and acidity acted as preservatives before refined sugar.
The contemporary twist : Serve a whole glistening pear on a spoonful of fresh cheese, the spiced syrup as a mirror: a contemporary-looking dessert with medieval flavors.
Sources : Le Ménagier de Paris (composts and fruit preserves) · Bruno Laurioux, Manger au Moyen Âge
Chrétien de Troyes · Charactorium