Poached Pears For Two

There's a great recipe for pears in Julia Child's Mastering The Art Of French Cooking*. Poires au Gratin, it uses pears, white wine or other liquids, apricot preserves, and toasted and crumbled macaroon cookies, (that's the gratin), it's fabulous. It's also a fair amount of work to put together so I made up something easier. Is it as good, you ask? I wasn't trying to compete. It's different and easier, I said defensively.
I'm still looking for a topping. We had it last night and sprinkled it with toasted almond slivers. It was good but I think I can do better. The first time I made it I served it with a raspberry sauce. That was very good but the red against the white made it look like a terrible crime had been committed.

Two pears, peeled and sliced
3/4 cup white wine, approx.
1 Tbs. sugar
1 cinnamon stick
2 whole cloves
pinch of salt


In a small sauce pan, bring the wine to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Add the cinnamon stick and the cloves and simmer while you're peeling and slicing the pears. Add the pears, sugar and salt. Swirl the pan to mix the ingredients, stirring with a spoon will break up the pears. Simmer 4 or 5 minutes and chill for later serving. I put the whole pan into the freezer for 15 minutes and then move it to the fridge. In part this prevents the pears from getting overcooked and otherwise it just speeds things up.

Things that might make good additions: a bit of lemon zest and a pat of butter when it comes off the heat.

*The link is to a very good background piece on the publishing of the book.