Sherry Poached Pears

Consuming fruit in the dead of Winter is a difficult task. Every week I stand in the produce section of the grocery store contemplating the colorful apples & citrus fruits magnificently displayed to entice, however, I often find myself choosing one or two varieties out of politeness rather than the desire to actually eat them.

The issue is not that Winter fruit doesn't taste good. I rather enjoy freshly squeezed grapefruit juice & a deliciously sweet clementine makes for a great snack. Unlike the long hot days of Summer, however, the yearning to eat my weight in fresh fruit simply doesn't exist. When the sky is gray & the wind is bone chillingly cold, I long for hot tea & cookies, decadently rich hot chocolate with marshmallows or after dinner desserts that require wallowing on the sofa with the top button of my jeans undone.

This Winter I wanted to find a new way in which to appreciate the season's bounty.

After picking up some Anjou pears when they first made an appearance in the supermarket late last year, I decided to experiment with poaching this often lackluster produce. Having poached pears in red wine on several occasions, I wanted something a little less obvious than the richness of warm, mulled wine.

The spiced Sherry definitely gave the poached pears a different character; the amber liquid was wonderfully aromatic with hints of toasted nuts & jammy fig-like flavors. The pears themselves were subtly tainted with the complexities of the poaching liquid & were quite delicious without an accompaniment. Creamy Greek yoghurt was a great addition for a lighter dessert, however, my personal favorite was a baked crumbly topping of butter & oats, a dollop of vanilla bean ice cream & a drizzle of the spiced Sherry after it had been reduced to a sweet, viscous sauce.

Now I'm not suggesting for a single second that this gently cooked Winter fruit is good for you, gosh no. Sherry is guilty of hiding a relatively high sugar content behind its alcohol, especially the pale cream, cream & Pedro Ximénez varieties. In addition, baking the pears with a crumble topping as suggested will definitely see one migrating to the sofa in comfy pants positively satisfied yet overly full.

With that being said, however, my goal was simply to uncover an appreciation for the season's readily available fruit. While this recipe may not be great for the waistline, it most definitely has me excited to peruse the produce aisle with enthusiasm throughout the bleak winter months. I hope it does the same for you!

This recipe works wonderfully with Anjou pears. Bartlett & Bosc pears work nicely also & are typically at their best through early Spring.