Patty's Pinot Closet
Serves 4.
| Ingredients: | ||
| 1 | bottle | Pinot Noir |
| 1/2 | cup | sugar |
| 1 | vanilla bean, split lengthwise | |
| 1 | tsp | anise seeds |
| 1 | Tbsp | finely grated lemon zest |
| 6 | whole | Anjou pears, peeled leaving stem |
| parchment paper | ||
| Chocolate Sauce: | ||
| 4 | Tbsp | unsalted butter |
| 1 | cup | semisweet chocolate, chopped |
| Raspberry Couli: | ||
| 2-1/2 | cups | fresh raspberries |
| 1/4 | cup | sugar |
| 1 | tsp | fresh lemon juice |
Poach Pears
Cut a circle of parchment paper to fit inside the mouth of a heavy large pot. Combine wine, sugar, vanilla bean, anise seeds, and lemon zest in pot over medium heat. Cook, stirring, until sugar dissolves. Add pears and enough water to cover, 3 to 4 cups. Place parchment paper over pears to keep them submerged, and bring liquid to gentle simmer. Simmer until pears are just tender, about 12 minutes. Remove pears, discarding liquid, cool completely, and refrigerate until chilled.
Make chocolate sauce
Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Melt butter in small saucepan. Remove from heat and stir in chocolate.
Remove pears from refrigerator. Cut small slice from bottom to insure they sit upright. Dip into chocolate sauce, tilting and swirling pan to coat entire pear.
Place on parchment paper-lined baking sheet and refrigerate until chocolate is set.
Make Raspberry Coulis
Purée raspberries, sugar, and lemon juice in a blender or food processor. Pour mixture through a fine sieve into a bowl, pressing on solids.
To serve:
Ladle Raspberry Coulis into 6 shallow bowls. Place 1 pear in each bowl.