Red Wine Poached Pear with Candied Almonds and Mascarpone

Red Wine Poached Pear with Candied Almonds and Mascarpone

by John Van House, Murray’s Restaurant

Makes 6.

Poached Pears

6 Bosc pears
1 750 ml bottle red table wine
2 cups granulated sugar
2 tablespoons Chinese Five Spice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves

Candied Almonds
1 cup sliced untoasted almonds
2 tablespoons granulated sugar

Mascarpone
8 ounces mascarpone cheese
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon almond extract

Do ahead

Poach Pears
Peel and core pears. To retain pear shape, insert and twist a corer or pairing knife from several angles at the bottom of the pear to extract core and seeds.

In a saucepan just large enough to hold pears, combine wine, 2 cups granulated sugar, five spice, cinnamon and cloves. Add pears and just enough water or additional wine to cover pears. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer over low heat until pears are tender but not falling apart, about 30 minutes depending on ripeness of pears. (Or, place pears in a deep baking dish. Pour wine mixture over pears, cover and bake at 350ºF turning pears periodically until evenly cooked through, about 1 hour.) Remove pears from wine mixture. Cool to room temperature then cover and refrigerate until completely chilled. Simmer wine mixture until reduced to a syrupy consistency. Set aside until ready to use.

Candied Almonds
Preheat oven to 350ºF. In a bowl mix almonds, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar and 2 tablespoons water. Spread on a parchment or foil lined baking sheet. Bake 15-20 minutes turning several times until almonds are golden brown and sugar is caramelized. Cool.

Mascarpone Filling
Place mascarpone, cream, powdered sugar and almond extract in a large mixing bowl. Whip on high speed until mixture forms firm peaks. Can be made up to 12 hours ahead, covered and refrigerated.

To serve

If desired, place mascarpone filling in a pastry bag with decorative tip. Pipe or spoon 2 tablespoons filling into center of each pear. Place on dessert plates. Pipe 2 tablespoons mascarpone around bottom of pears, or garnish with a dollop. Drizzle 1-2 tablespoons slightly warm wine syrup over each pear. Garnish with candied almonds and serve immediately.

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