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Vanilla Poached Pears

Recipe information

  • Yield

    Makes 10 pear halves

Ingredients

1 cup dry white wine
3 cups water
1/4 cup honey
1 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise and seeds scraped
5 ripe, firm Bartlett or Comice pears

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Bring wine, water, honey, and vanilla-bean seeds and pod to a simmer in a large saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat 5 minutes.

    Step 2

    Meanwhile, cut a round of parchment the same diameter as the saucepan. Peel pears and halve lengthwise. Use a small spoon or melon baller to scoop out cores, seeds, and stems. Trim fibrous strip from center with a paring knife. Gently lower pears into pot. Place parchment round directly on pears to keep them submerged (this will help keep them from turning brown).

    Step 3

    Cook until a paring knife slides easily into pears, meeting slight resistance, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat; let cool in liquid 30 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer pears to a large bowl; cover with cooking liquid and let cool completely. Pears can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 3 days.

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