Wine-Poached Pears With Vanilla Bean Mascarpone
Wine-Poached Pears With Vanilla Bean Mascarpone
Mascarpone is a soft Italian cheese made from curdled cream. It's a main ingredient in tiramisu, and can also be used in savory dishes. Here it serves as a beautiful and dramatic topping against the deep red of poached Bosc pears — a firm, winter variety with a sweet-tart flavor.This recipe is provided by Plated.
Servings
2
Ingredients
- 1 lemon, divided
- 2 bosc pears
- 1 cup red wine
- 1/4 cup + ½ teaspoon granulated sugar, divided
- 4 packets honey
- 2 tablespoon mascarpone cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
Directions
- Zest lemon, then halve. Peel pears, halve lengthwise, and remove and discard cores. Cut each into 6 wedges.
- In a medium pot over medium-high heat, add red wine, ¼ cup sugar, honey, 1 squeeze lemon juice, and zest of 1 lemon. Simmer, stirring to dissolve sugar, until flavors are melded, about 5 minutes.
- Add pears to pot, being sure to submerge at least halfway. Cover and poach until tender, 10-15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes.
- While pears poach, in a small bowl, stir together mascarpone, vanilla bean paste, and remaining sugar. Chill in fridge until ready to serve.
- Remove pears from pot, reserving liquid, and divide evenly between 2 bowls. Increase heat to high and cook poaching liquid until reduced by half, about 3 minutes, then spoon over pears. Top each bowl with a dollop of vanilla bean mascarpone and serve.