Poire à la Beaujolaise

Author & Photographer: Alex Wang

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Poire à la Beaujolaise is a very simple dessert from the Beaujolais region of France, just north of Lyon. It is made with the wine of the region: Nouveau Beaujolais, a young, fruity red wine. Occasionally, the red wine may not be enough to achieve a bright red color, so traditional recipes often call for a bit of cochineal or placing the pears in a bowl with a tin spoon, which serves to enhance and augment the color of the pears. When I first tried this recipe, I made the mistake of cutting the pears too early and then handling them too much. You should try to cut them at the last possible moment to ensure they are not stained red. The components of this dish may be made well in advance, and you can experiment with different spices to see what you prefer. The cinnamon and vanilla are the most essential ones.

Ingredients

Poached Pears:

  • 6 large pears

  • Juice of 2 lemons

  • 1 bottle of Nouveau Beaujolais (or another young, fruity red wine)

  • ⅔ to ¾ cup of caster sugar

  • 1 stick of cinnamon

  • 1 vanilla pod, split

  • Peel of half an orange

  • 1 tsp whole cloves

  • 2 cloves star anise

  • Optional: 1 tsp black peppercorns

  • Optional: 2+1 ounces of crème de cassis

Lemon Confit:

  • 4 lemons

  • ½ cup olive oil

  • 1 tbsp sugar

  • 2 tsp salt

Simple Granola:

  • 3 cups rolled oats

  • ⅔ cup amaranth

  • ½ cup pumpkin seeds

  • ¼ cup vegetable oil

  • ¼ cup maple syrup

  • ¼ cup brown sugar

  • 1 tbsp almond butter

  • ½ tsp salt

To serve:

  • Cinnamon powder

  • Saffron powder

  • Fennel

 

Instructions

Lemon Confit:

  1. Remove the peel from the lemons in half-inch thick strips. Juice the lemons and set aside for later. In a small saucepan bring some water to a boil, and blanch the lemon peels for 10 to 15 seconds. Remove and set aside.

  2. Drain the saucepan. Then add the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and sugar, and bring to a bare simmer on low heat. Add the lemon peel and simmer until the peel is relatively soft but not falling apart, about 1 hour. 

  3. Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature, then place in a sealable jar and refrigerate. Keep refrigerated and completely covered in olive oil.

Granola:

  1. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.

  2. In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients and toss. Place on two sheet pans.

  3. Bake for an hour and 20 minutes, turning every 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Seal the granola in a large jar and set aside until needed.

Poached Pears:

  1. In a tall, narrow pot, combine all the liquid ingredients and the sugar, reserving 1 ounce of the crème de cassis. Place the spices and vanilla pod in a sachet or tea strainer and add to the pot. Bring to a boil on medium-low heat to prevent the development of off-flavors in the wine.

  2. Prepare a medium bowl with the juice of two lemons and enough water to cover the pears. Peel the pears, and place them in the water to prevent oxidation.

  3. Once the wine is boiling, add the pears. Lower the heat to a gentle simmer, and poach the pears for about 20 minutes, turning every 5-7 minutes. Remove from heat when the pears are tender but not falling apart.

  4. Remove the pears from the syrup and place in a bowl with the remaining crème de cassis.

  5. Return the pot to heat, and continue to cook the wine on medium-low heat until reduced to a medium syrup. Remove the spice sachet and pour the syrup over the pears. Cover and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours.

  6. To finish the pears, return to heat until they are warmed through and syrup is reduced down.

  7. Remove from heat, and slice the pears in half. Core the pears and remove the seeds. In the divot where the seeds were, place a small amount of granola. Combine the saffron and cinnamon powder, and lightly dust the tops of the pears. 

  8. Garnish with lemon confit, and fennel leaves. Serve with syrup.

RecipesMelanie WangComment