Not being much of an alcohol drinker, I'm not against it - I just never learned to like the taste of alcohol. Still, in some social occasions I still like to attempt to drink a glass of wine and I don't tell friends or guests to my home 'no thank you' when they come bearing a gift of wine. For this reason we do have some wines in our home that are opened, but I can guarantee you they will not be finished. While looking at two opened bottles of red wine on my counter (both given to me) I decided to find a new way to use them up. Something different than a marinade or a salad dressing.
In the end I took about 3 versions of poached pears and mixed them up to come up with this recipe for my collection. I can use up a half bottle of wine with this recipe and make at least 3 pears out of it.
Wine Poached Pears
3 pears, peeled, stem left on to make it easy to poach and serve
1 1/2 cups red wine (I used remnants from two open bottles)
1/2 t cinnamon
2 whole cloves
1/2 c sugar
1/3 c crumbled bleu cheese
1/4 c chopped toasted walnuts
Scoop out the center of the pear by using a melon baller and start to whittle away at the bottom. Work your way up, scooping out the inside so the pear is much like a bell.
In a medium saucepan, combine the wine, cinnamon, cloves and sugar. Stand the pears upright in the mixture, then bring to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer, uncovered, turning the pears often, for about 35 minutes, or until the pears are just tender.
Serve warm, room temperature or chilled. Scoop a dollop of whipped cream on them for children or for adults, sprinkle with crumbled bleu cheese and chopped toasted walnuts.
