Poached Pears in Red Wine with Lemon Curd Ice Cream
An elegant dessert pairing tender poached pears in spiced red wine syrup with tangy lemon curd ice cream. The pears are infused with warming spices—cinnamon, cloves, star anise—and citrus peel, then simmered until melting-soft and glazed in a richly reduced wine syrup. The ice cream blends custard with lemon curd for a bright, creamy contrast. This dish demands patience and good timing but rewards with restaurant-quality presentation and complex flavor layers: wine's depth, lemon's sharpness, and warming spice notes. Best for special occasions, dinner parties, or when impressing guests. The combination of cool, tangy ice cream against warm or room-temperature wine-poached pears creates textural and temperature contrast that enhances the experience beyond simple fruit and cream.
Ingredients
- 4 large William pears, peeled
- 1 bottle full body red wine
- 1 glass portadditional red wine1:1alcohol
reduces sweetness and depth
- 1 ¼ cups superfine sugar
- 1 vanilla pod, split in half
- 3 cloves
- 1 stick cinnamon
- 1 star anise
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 orange, peel only
- 1 lemon, peel only
- 1 ¼ cups fresh whole milk
- 1 ¼ cups heavy cream
- 1 ¼ cups superfine sugar
- 6 egg yolks
- 11 oz lemon curd
- 1 lemon, peel only
- ginger biscuits, crushed(optional)amaretti1:1cookie
removes ginger spice
Instructions
- 1
Heat milk and cream with lemon peel and simmer gently for 5 minutes.
- 2
Remove from heat, cover with cling film, and infuse for 10 minutes.
- 3
In a large bowl, whisk egg yolks and superfine sugar until pale and thick.
- 4
Return milk mixture to heat, bring to boil, remove from heat, and strain lemon peel out into the egg mixture and mix well.
- 5
Return mix to pan and stir constantly on gentle heat without boiling until custard reaches light cream consistency, about 5 minutes.
- 6
Spoon lemon curd into mixture and mix well.
- 7
Cool the mixture, then churn in ice cream maker for around 20 minutes or per maker instructions.
- 8
Freeze in covered container until required.
- 9
In a large saucepan, pour 250ml red wine, sugar, port, spices, bay leaf, and citrus peel.
- 10
Warm contents without boiling, cover with foil, and infuse for 10 minutes.
- 11
Add remaining wine and bring to simmer.
- 12
Add pears and poach covered for around 20 to 30 minutes until tender when pierced.
- 13
Scoop pears into a container and cool.
- 14
Return pan to heat and reduce poaching liquid by three quarters until fairly thick syrup forms.
- 15
Cool both syrup and pears before refrigerating.
- 16
Slice thin piece from base of each pear to stand upright.
- 17
Drizzle red wine syrup over pears and top with scoop of ice cream over crushed ginger biscuits.
- 18
Serve.
Tips
Infuse spices and citrus in warm wine before poaching to extract maximum flavor; this step prevents bitter tannins from overcooking and ensures complex, balanced sweetness in the final syrup.
Stir custard constantly on low heat to reach single cream consistency without scrambling eggs; use a thermometer if available—aim for 82-84C for safety while maintaining silky texture.
Reduce wine syrup until noticeably thick to concentrate flavor and create a glossy glaze; three-quarter reduction yields proper viscosity for plating without pooling.
Good to Know
Pears and syrup keep refrigerated up to 2 days. Ice cream keeps frozen up to 1 week in airtight container.
Make pears and syrup up to 2 days ahead. Make ice cream up to 1 week ahead. Assemble just before serving for best texture contrast.
Serve pears at room temperature or chilled with cold ice cream. Ginger biscuits may be served on the side or crushed directly into plate.
Common Mistakes
Boil the infusion mixture to avoid losing volatile spice flavors and creating harsh, bitter tones.
Scramble custard by exceeding gentle heat—stir constantly and use thermometer if unsure.
Under-reduce wine syrup to avoid thin, watery pooling on plate; three-quarter reduction is essential.
Substitutions
Dairy-Free Swaps
General Alternatives
removes ginger spice
reduces sweetness and depth
FAQ
Can I make this without an ice cream maker?
Yes. After cooling custard-curd mixture, pour into shallow container and freeze 2 hours. Whisk every 30 minutes for 3-4 hours until scoopable, or use food processor method with frozen chunks.
What if I don't have port wine?
Use additional red wine or substitute with dessert wine like Banyuls or Madeira for similar sweetness and depth. Ratio remains 1:1. Avoid dry wines as they won't balance the sugar.
How long do the poached pears keep after chilling?
Up to 2 days refrigerated in their syrup. Freezing in syrup extends storage to 3 months but softens texture slightly. Thaw overnight in refrigerator before serving.