RCP: Poached pears in beaujolais, lavendar and spices

This is a combination of a couple of different recipes including one from Patricia Wells "Trattoria" and http://www.cyber-kitchen.com/recipes/Poached_Pears.htm.

Plate by putting a dollop of syrup on the plate and placing the pear on top. Beautiful dramatic presentation, the spices and lavendar create an other-worldly aroma, and the wine sauce reduces into a gorgeous syrup.

POACHED PEARS
• 8 Bosc pears, peeled, stem left attached, bottom slice off to stand flat
• juice of 1 lemon
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1-1/2 cups Burgundy or beaujolais
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 4 whole cloves
• 3 to 4 black peppercorns
• 1 vanilla bean split lengthwise
• 1 sprig rosemary or summer savory
• 1 sprig fresh lavender
• 1/4 cup Grand Marnier
Use a melon baller to scoop out seeds from pears. Stand pears in dutch oven. Squeeze lemon juice over. Sprinkle with sugar and drizzle with honey.
Add remaining ingredients and bring to simmer. Cover and poach for 30 minutes. Serve at room temperature or cold with syrup.

I made this the day before, served it cold. I was going to warm up the syrup but didn't get around to it. Nobody cared.

Poached pears are my all time favorite dessert. I will give this one a try next time I make them. The idea of using lavender and rosemary sounds interesting. Sometimes we have fresh whipped cream with candied ginger to go with the pears, but it might be too much with this recipe.

I hope you can post notes on the wines you served with the dinner, the food looks fantastic.

Thanks for all the recipes.

Best,
Marc

Hi Marc,
None of the herbs or flavors dominated - all blended into a very fine complex whole that you really felt you couldn't get enough of. The rosemary and lavendar never tasted separate in any way but the combination of fruity wine, herbs and spices was phenomenal.

I actually plated the pears/syrup with a slice of caramelized apple butter pound cake. It was a little over the top but well received.