flipPears in Wine and Honey
Pears in Wine and Honey
Why this dish? Medieval medicine held raw pear to be cold and indigestible, but cooked in wine and warm spices, it was a remedy that 'warms the stomach'. A comfort dish for Mélusine the fairy, whose secret and painful part called for balm and sweetness.
Pears poached in spiced wine with honey, cinnamon, and ginger until tender and deep purple. Served warm at the end of the meal to aid digestion.
There is a sadness in me that no feast can soothe — that of the fairy who cannot fully be a woman. On evenings of melancholy, I have these pears cooked in hot wine, with honey and cinnamon, until they take on a garnet color and melt under the tooth. The physicians say raw pear cools the belly, but thus candied, it warms and consoles. Eat them warm, and think in silence of her who offers them to you.
- •Firm pears — as many as needed (poached fruit)
- •Wine — enough to cover (cooking bath)
- •Honey — to taste (sweetness)
- •Cinnamon — one stick (warming spice)
- •Ginger — a pinch (medicinal heat)
Pears in Wine and Honey
Pears poached in spiced wine with honey, cinnamon, and ginger until tender and deep purple. Served warm at the end of the meal to aid digestion.
Why this dish? Medieval medicine held raw pear to be cold and indigestible, but cooked in wine and warm spices, it was a remedy that 'warms the stomach'. A comfort dish for Mélusine the fairy, whose secret and painful part called for balm and sweetness.
There is a sadness in me that no feast can soothe — that of the fairy who cannot fully be a woman. On evenings of melancholy, I have these pears cooked in hot wine, with honey and cinnamon, until they take on a garnet color and melt under the tooth. The physicians say raw pear cools the belly, but thus candied, it warms and consoles. Eat them warm, and think in silence of her who offers them to you.
Ingredients (period version)
- Firm pears — as many as needed (poached fruit)
- Wine — enough to cover (cooking bath)
- Honey — to taste (sweetness)
- Cinnamon — one stick (warming spice)
- Ginger — a pinch (medicinal heat)
Ingredients
- Firm pears (Conference, or Williams if unavailable) — 4 (poached fruit)
- Red wine — 50 cl (cooking liquid)
- Honey — 4 tbsp (sweetness)
- Cinnamon stick — 1 (spice)
- Fresh ginger — 2 slices (warmth)
- Clove — 2 (optional) (perfume)
Method
- Peel the pears, keeping the stems. Bring the wine to a simmer with honey and spices.
- Submerge the pears and poach over low heat for 20-30 minutes, turning them, until tender and tinted.
- Remove the pears; reduce the wine by half to a spiced syrup.
- Nap the pears with syrup and serve warm, with spices removed.
How it was made : Medieval cooking was inseparable from humoral medicine: 'cold' fruits were cooked with 'hot' spices (cinnamon, ginger) to balance them. Pears cooked in wine appear in several collections. Refined sugar was rare; honey provided sweetness. No New World fruits here: only pears, imported spices, and local wine.
The contemporary twist : Serve with a spoonful of honey-whipped fresh cheese to recall the cheeses of the noble table, and name the dessert 'Mélusine's Tears'.
Sources : Le Ménagier de Paris (v. 1393)
Melusine · Charactorium
