Pears Poached in Red Wine, Cardamom and Orange QOTW recipe Pears!

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Pears Poached in Red Wine, Cardamom and Orange

 

1 750-ml bottle dry red wine

2 1/4 cups sugar

2 cups water

1/2 cup orange juice

2 teaspoons grated orange peel

1 teaspoon ground cardamom

1 cinnamon stick

4 firm but ripe pears, peeled, stems

left intact

 

1 pint good quality vanilla ice cream

 

Optional:

1 plain or almond biscotti, crumbled

orange peel strips

 

Combine first 7 ingredients in heavy large saucepan.

Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves and

mixture comes to simmer. Add pears and return mixture

to simmer. Reduce heat and simmer slowly until pears

are tender when pierced with knife, about 25 minutes.

Transfer pears to plate. Boil liquid in saucepan until

reduced to 3 cups, about 20 minutes. (Can be made 1

day ahead. Cover and chill pears in poaching liquid.

Before serving, rewarm over medium-low heat until

pears are heated through.) Arrange 1 warm pear and 1

scoop of ice cream on each of 4 plates. Drizzle some

poaching liquid over. Sprinkle with biscotti crumbs if

desired, and garnish with orange peel.

Serves 4.

Hint: Save extra sauce to serve over ice cream