Sous Vide Red Wine Poached Pears Recipe
If you've not yet experimented with sous vide cooking, allow us to introduce you to a world of possibilities. This cooking method involves adding just about any ingredient into a vacuum-sealed bag, placing it in a body of water, and using a handy sous vide appliance to maintain a set cooking temperature for an extended period of time. The results are worth the fuss and wait, because once your food is done cooking, it will be cooked to absolute perfection — down to the exact degree!
While sous vide cooking is especially ideal for meats like chicken breast or steak, as it helps you get a precise finishing temperature without any guesswork, you can get quite creative with the appliance. Case in point: this sous vide red wine poached pears recipe, courtesy of our esteemed Tasting Table recipe developers.
Sous vide red wine pears are a lightly spiced treat that simultaneously offers warm flavors and delightful sweetness. The perfect opportunity to put your sous vide to good use, this quick and easy recipe is a fantastic dessert that's hands-off to cook and still guaranteed to impress, especially when served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Gather the ingredients for sous vide red wine poached pears
Another perk to this recipe, besides the easy cooking method, is the minimal ingredients list. You'll need pears, of course, and for the best results, use Bosc or Anjou. Be sure to choose slightly underripe, firm fruit, which will give just slightly when pressed. Aside from the pears, you'll need dry red wine, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, orange zest, ground nutmeg, cinnamon sticks, and whole cloves.
Set up your sous vide and reduce the spiced red wine
You'll want to get the sous vide cooker going before diving into any other steps. First, fill a large sous vide-safe container with 8 quarts of water and place it on a stable surface. Attach the sous vide cooker to the side of the container (the bottom half of the cooker should be submerged in the water) and set it to 175 F, allowing it to start heating up the water. Keep in mind that the preheating process may take up to 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, you can reduce the red wine and spices on the stovetop — this will serve as your poaching liquid in the airtight bag. Add the red wine to a saucepan over medium heat along with the sugar, vanilla extract, orange zest, nutmeg, cinnamon sticks, and cloves. Stir and allow the mixture to cook for 10-15 minutes, until it has reduced by about ¼ of its initial amount. Remove the mixture from heat and allow it to fully cool down.
Sous vide the pears
As you allow the red wine reduction to cool down, you can turn your attention to the pears. Start by peeling them with a paring knife or vegetable peeler, and note that this isn't a step you want to skip — as it's important for the appearance and texture of the cooked fruit. Once peeled, immediately put the pears into a sous vide-safe plastic bag with the cooled wine mixture in order to prevent them from oxidizing and browning.
Remove as much air from the bag as possible before sealing it, then clip it onto the sous vide container so the pears and reduction stay fully submerged. Now, it's time to let that sous vide magic happen. Cook for 45 minutes, and once that time is up, remove the bag from the water and allow the pears to cool for 15 minutes.
Serve the pears with ice cream
Once cooled a bit, remove the pears from the plastic bag with tongs if you plan to serve them right away. Fortunately, these are good hot or cold. If you'd like to eat them later, leave them in their liquid in the sous vide bag and place them in the fridge until you're ready to serve. Regardless, you can't go wrong with a scoop of vanilla ice cream to add a creamy element to this elegant dessert — and be sure to spoon some of that leftover cooking liquid on top, too.
You can keep leftover poached pears in the fridge for 3 days. If you'd like to reheat them, add the pears and cooking liquid to a saucepan over medium heat until warm, then turn off the heat and let the pears rest in the syrup for about 5 minutes before serving.
Whether you're a seasoned sous vide pro or totally new to the game, this recipe can help you create an impressive, delicious, and visually stunning sweet treat that will satisfy your sweet tooth and offer an amazing depth of flavor.
Sous Vide Red Wine Poached Pears Recipe
Douse pears in red wine, orange zest, and warming spices before cooking them sous vide for an elegant dessert that's perfect with vanilla ice cream.
Ingredients
- 2 cups dry red wine
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 3 cinnamon sticks
- 4 whole cloves
- 4 Bosc or Anjou pears
Optional Ingredients
- Vanilla ice cream, for serving
Directions
- Fill a sous-vide-safe container with 8 quarts of water and place it on a heat-safe surface. Secure the sous vide cooker to the side of the container. Set the temperature to 175 F and press start to begin preheating the water. (This may take up to 30 minutes.)
- Pour the red wine into a sauté pan over medium heat. Add the sugar, vanilla extract, orange zest, nutmeg, cinnamon sticks, and cloves. Stir to combine.
- Cook down the mixture for 10-15 minutes until it has reduced by approximately ¼. Allow the mixture to cool.
- While the mixture is cooling, peel the pears and place them into a 1-gallon, food-safe sous-vide bag.
- Once the mixture is cooled, pour it over the pears and press the bag to remove as much air as possible. Seal the bag and place it in the preheated water, using a clip or clothespin to secure the bag to the side of the container. The pears should be fully submerged throughout the entire cook time.
- Allow the pears to cook for 45 minutes. Remove them from the hot water and allow to cool for 15 minutes.
- Use tongs to carefully remove the pears from the bag by their stems. Place the pears onto a plate for serving. Spoon the leftover cooking liquid over the pears and serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.