Wine-Poached Pears with Yogurt Sauce

I thought I had posted this already but it looks like I did not.  This is adapted from a Jacques Pepin recipe via Chowhound (I think).

Serves 4-6 depending on how big your pears are and how much room you have left for dessert.

4 Bartlett pears, peeled, cored and sliced into eighths
1 bottle fruity red wine (it really needs to be fruity.  I used Apothic Red which runs about $12)
~1/4 to 1/2 C honey depending on how sweet your wine is
1 cinnamon stick
pinch of ground cloves, if desired

1.5 C plain Greek yogurt (I prefer Fage but Chobani is fine)
splash of vanilla or even better, vanilla bean paste
1/2 t cinnamon
2-3 T grade B maple syrup but grade A is fine too

In a deep saucepan, pour wine, honey and cinnamon stick and bring to a boil then reduce to simmer for about 8 minutes.  Add pears and stir occasionally to make sure all the pear slices are poaching properly.  Pears are done when a knife slides easily into the flesh.  Strain out pears and return liquid to the stove top.  Simmer until liquid reduces and becomes a bit syrup-y.  Return pears to liquid if planning to serve shortly.  If not, keep separate.

For yogurt sauce, whisk together ingredients and return to fridge until time to serve. When time to serve, re-warm pears and wine reduction if need be until warm but not necessarily hot.  Serve pear slices topped with yogurt sauce.  Try not to lick the bowl in front of company.  This is a GREAT dessert to make ahead and have waiting to serve when you have company.  It's the perfect finish to a dinner with beef as the main course as it is light and yet substantial.

Comments

gwen said…
Look at the pear synergy in the last two posts!

I am going to have "I prefer Fage but Chobani is fine" written on my tombstone. I remember Hefk once saying she thought Chobani (wait, was it Chobani? I think?) tasted like paste...
hefk said…
Pear synergy, activate! Auspicious pear timing.

I'll put whatever you want on your tombstone (stop talking about your tombstone! no kinnah hurrahs!), but I will also hereby provide confirmation of my personal position on Chobani:

Chobani = paste = not fine.

Admittedly, I have not eaten it in over a year. I should probably make sure I still stand by this, otherwise I risk sounding like a timid toddler.
Alissa said…
Wait, paste? Really? I've been eating it every day for the last 2 months. Am I missing out on something that is infinitely better than this? Are you talking about the plain, or the little flavored cups? I really like the peach, pineapple, and black cherry flavors....
gwen said…
I eat the little cups of Chobani too, because they're convenient and I like the flavors (have you tried the new apple cinnamon one? yum) but when it's just plain, I like Fage way better. I wouldn't say "infinitely," but I would say "significantly."
hefk said…
I will try again this coming week and report latest findings. It's on sale all the time, so it'd be cool if I suddenly like it. I still wish I could make yogurt...which reminds me, have either of you tried the ricotta recipe yet? you will be so happy you did.
Alissa said…
I have tried the apple-cinnamon. It was too sweet for me. We haven't been able to find the new blood orange, which Todd really wants to try. I don't eat plain Greek yogurt, so maybe that's why I haven't noticed the pastiness.

And no, I have never tried making my own cheese....sounds good, though!
Kelly said…
No to the little cups. I only do that at the airport. For me, it's just not economical since I eat it every day for breakfast with my precious frozen blueberries from TJ's. I don't think Chobani tastes like paste but it is different. Also, have you tried the 2% vs. the non-fat? I'm doing 2% Fage at the moment. And I really do like it plain--I find that the flavored ones are too sweet. I know, that's stupid, right? I LOVE sugar and yet when it's in stuff like that I don't. Same with coffee.
hefk said…
My newly refreshed (same) verdict is...non-fat Chobani = paste. Any flavor. The 2% is slightly better but I like TJ's, Fage and Cabot's 2%. It's really a fat content thing. After all these years, I still stand by my non-belief in non-fat.

I avoid little cups too. We go through about a big container of plain a week especially in fresh fruit season. I save the big containers for freezing soup and other stuff, as well as art projects and water, sand and mushy mudhole fun, etc.

yogurt and mud! yay!

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