Pears Poached in Sauternes with Chocolate Sauce
Nora Pouillon | Delicious Living- Serves: 4 people
- Calories per serving: 254
Pears are a perfect match for sweet, light dessert wines, and chocolate adds a special-occasion touch. This recipe from Nora Pouillon, owner of Restaurant Nora in Washington, D.C., uses a half-bottle (called a split) of Sauternes, made from Sémillon, Sauvignon Blanc, and Muscatel grapes shriveled to concentrated ripeness. Barsac or late-harvest wines can be substituted. Make sure pears are fully ripe for best flavor.
Directions
- Use a small melon baller or a pointed vegetable peeler to scoop out seeds and core from the bottom of the pears, leaving pears whole.
- Pour wine into a nonreactive saucepan just large enough to hold the pears in a single layer. Add lemon peel and cloves and bring to a boil. Add pears, reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until tender, 10–15 minutes, occasionally turning pears for even cooking.
- Remove pears from saucepan and keep warm. Boil remaining liquid until wine is reduced to 1/2 cup and has a syrupy consistency. Remove saucepan from heat and remove cloves. Add chocolate and stir to melt and combine. Sauce will thicken as it cools.
- Place each pear on a rimmed dessert plate and spoon one-fourth of the chocolate sauce over and around it. Garnish with a 1 tablespoon light whipped cream and a mint leaf.
PER SERVING: 254 cal, 41% fat cal, 12g fat, 2g sat fat, 8mg chol, 2g protein, 37g carb, 2g fiber, 7mg sodium
