The Poire à la Beaujolaise or pear in wine is a traditional dessert of the wine-growing region of Beaujolais, and belonging to the cuisine of Burgundy and Lyon.
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| Type | Dessert |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | France |
| Region or state | Beaujolais |
| Main ingredients | Pear, red wine, sugar |
History
In the early 19th century, a recipe already existed, known as "old wife pear compote". The pears were cooked in a pan with red wine, sugar, a piece of cinnamon and cloves. Once cooked, the pears would develop wrinkles, thus the name "old wife".[1] If the cooking did not result in the desired red color, cochineal was added and a tin spoon placed inside the jar. Gaston Bachelard in his book Rational materialism said, "Tin has the property on enhancing the red color of vegetable matter; this fact is known by cooks, who never fail to put a tin spoon in pear compote, in order to give it a good red color".[2]
Preparation
To prepare the pears with red wine, a fruity wine (in this case, Beaujolais) should be used. The other ingredients are sugar or honey, cloves, peppercorn, a cinnamon stick, a vanilla pod and orange zest. The mixture is brought to the boil and drained, thus allowing the wine to be reduced. The dessert is served cold or lukewarm.[3]
References
- ^ "Poire à la Beaujolaise – the Nosey Chef".
- ^ Bachelard, Gaston (1953). Rational Materialism. Presses Universitaires de France. p. 193.
- ^ "Poires pochées au vin rouge et aux épices - Recette par Chef Simon".
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