Poached pears with red wine & ginger sauce

Poached pear recipes are always popular. This one is distinguished by the addition of ginger.

What you need:

• 4 hard pears
• 300ml/10fl oz red wine
• 25g/1 oz caster sugar
• 1 whole cinnamon stick
• 5ml/1tsp arrowroot
• 1 piece stem ginger in syrup, very finely chopped
• 15ml/1tbsp stem ginger syrup

What you do:

1. Peel the pears, but leave the stalks intact.
2. Slice a thin disc from the base of each pear, if necessary, to make it sit upright.
3. Place the pears on their sides in saucepan. Pour in the red wine, sprinkle over the sugar and add the cinnamon stick.
4. Bring up to simmering point, cover the pan and simmer very slowly for about one hour, turning now and again so that the pears cook evenly in the wine.
5. When the pears are cooked, transfer to a bowl to cool, leaving the poaching liquid in the pan. Remove the cinnamon stick.
6. Mix the arrowroot with a little water until it forms a smooth paste. Add this to the liquid in the pan over direct heat. Bring the syrup just up to simmering point so that it thickens slightly and becomes translucent.
7. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the chopped stem ginger and ginger syrup to taste. Leave to cool. Spoon the sauce over the pears, basting them well. Cover and chill thoroughly. Serve the pears in individual dishes with the sauce spooned over.

Recipe created by the Cordon Vert cookery school

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