Jeanpaul's signature dish: Pears in wine [Stoofpeertjes]

PEARS IN WINE / STOOFPEERTJES / POIRE AU VIN

On special request [and with pain in my heart :-)], I will share today the recipe for my pears in wine dish (Dutch: stoofpeertjes).


First of all, when you  make this recipe, don't hesitate to double or triple the amount. The work is not that much more (except for the peeling part) and you can easily store it in the deep-freezer for a long time.  You can use this as side dish for a fancy christmas dinner, use it as ingredient for cooked desserts, simply eat it with ice or yoghurt or just enjoy its full flavour by eating it straight away.
So it will come in very handy to have some stock available anytime.

Ingredients (per 2 kilo of pears)
- 2 kilos of pears for cooking
   (I strongly favor Gieser Wildeman for its sweet taste, but Saint Rémy or any other pear  that is suitable for cooking and will keep its shape can be used)
- 150 grams of powdered /confectioners' sugar  [Dutch: poedersuiker, French: sucre en poudre]

- 1 bottle of red wine
- half a bottle of port
- 2 packs of vanilla sugar
- 3 cloves [Dutch: kruidnagels, French: clou de girofle]
- 1 cinnamon sticks [Dutch: kaneelstokje, French: baton de cannelle]
- 2  Star anise [Dutch: steranijs, French: badiane ou anis étoilé]

So now that the "mise en place" is ready, we can start the work!
In the pictures you will see the quantities for 4 kilos of pears. Also note: these are not Gieser Wildeman, but home grown pears that I received from my uncle Hans. No idea what race they are, sorry. And yes...they look like apples, but really are proud pears.


















Step 1:  Peel the pears.
This is the most time consuming task. You will end up with a maximum speed of 3 pears per minute and afterwards some cramp, but its worth it. No need to chuck out the seeds or dig in hole on the middle. Leave them intact with the end of the branch still connected. This will make a smashing presentation in any dish.
-> When you are finished peeling, cut around 20% of the pears into quarters.
This is to fill up the space between the whole pears when adding them to the pan. Otherwise you would need double the amount of liquid.

Step 2:  Add pears into a casserole or large pan and add all the other ingredients
Add the whole pears to a large pan, fill all the empty spaces with the chopped pieces of pear
Add the sugar
Add the cloves, cinnamon sticks and the star anise
Add the wine and port
If the pears are not covered by the liquid, you can add some extra port or water

Step 3 :Bring to boil and let the pears simmer on low heat
Bring the pears briefly to the boil and afterwards let them simmer on low heath for at least 3 hours.
After 2 hours you can taste the liquid and add a couple of tablespoons of powdered sugar if you prefer a sweeter taste.

Step 4: You made it, Enjoy!
After 3 or more hours, when  the pears have a nice deep red color, are soft when pinching with a fork but will not fall apart and the liquid has the desired taste of sweetness, you can stop the heat.

Serve directly as they are still warm with yoghurt, vanilla (vla) or ice or next to a nice piece of game meat such as deer.  If you prefer to present it with a bit thicker juice add some starch until you have the desired texture.

Otherwise let the pears cool slowly and store them with the juice in portions in deep freezer or for direct use in the fridge.

Hope you like them as much as we do!
Enjoy
Jeanpaul