Pears in Port Wine

Sometimes, at our house, dinner is pretty simple. Tonight we had grilled cheese sandwiches, to use up the last of a mediocre smoked Gouda that neither one of us liked! But when dinner is not so hep...we tend to make up for it with a truly scrumptious dessert. So tonight, for dessert, I made Pears in Port Wine, and served it with honey-orange ricotta. Here is the recipe:



Pears in Port Wine

Serves 2

2 whole pears
2 cups port wine
1 cinnamon stick
2 cloves
1/4” piece fresh ginger root
2/3 cup white sugar, or to taste

Add port, sugar, cinnamon stick, cloves, and ginger to a deep saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower heat to simmer and stir until sugar is fully dissolved. Remove the skin from the pears using a vegetable peeler or paring knife, but leave the stems on. Add the pears to the simmering sauce, and let simmer covered for about 30 minutes, turning them over once halfway through. When done, remove the pears from the pan, discard spice chunks from the sauce, and leave the sauce on the heat until it reduces further, about 15 minutes, and reaches a thick, syrupy consistency.

Serve pears warm or at room temperature, with warmed port wine sauce. (Optional – mix 1 tbsp honey into ½ cup ricotta or mascarpone cheese, and add 1 tsp orange zest. This is a perfect accompaniment to the pears!) Garnish with fresh mint leaves. Enjoy!