PERE COTTE CON ALLORO E AMARONE
Braised pears with bay leaves and red wine
Serves 8
These pears are braised, not poached, an important distinction that many
people overlook. First they are sautéedin butter, a step that establishes
the base for their finely articulated flavor.
Subsequently, bay leaves add their distinctive aroma and, of course, the
final
significant element is the red wine. You should make every effort to use
Amarone because of its intensely concentrated fruitiness and faintly raisiny
quality. Of all alternatives to Amarone, the most highly recommended would
be a late-harvest Zinfandel.
When the pears are done, there must remain no wine in liquid form, but
only a dense syrup that dyes the fruit deep purple and forms a caramel-like
coating on it. To favor the reduction and evaporation of the wine, it is
necessary to use a broad. low pan, rather than a tall, narrow one.
4 firm, not overripe pears
1 tablespoon butter
4 to 6 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 cups dry, full-bodied red wine: The ideal choice is Amarone; other mature,
full reds such as Barbera, Chianti Riserva, or Zinfandel are suitable.
6 to 8 bay leaves
1. Peel the pears, slice them in half lengthwise, and remove the core. If
they have the stem, leave it attached to half the pear, for it looks attractive
in the finished dish.
2. Choose a lidded sauté pan that can later accommodate all the pear
halves lying flat without overlapping. Put in the butter, leaving the pan
uncovered, and turn on the heat to medium high.
3. Heat the butter until its foam subsides, but take care not to let it
become colored; otherwise,the pears will acquire a disagreeable burned-butter
flavor.
4. Put in the pear halves flat side down. Brown them lightly on one side,
then turn them over and do the other side.
5. Add the sugar, judging the quantity according to the ripeness of the
pears (the riper
the pear, the less sugar one needs). Spread out the bay leaves in the pan
and pour in the red wine. Cover the pan, keeping the cover slightly askew,
and turn down the heat to medium.
6. Cook the pears, turning them from time to time, until they are easily
pierced with a fork.
They should be just tender, but still firm enough to maintain their shape
compactly.
7. If, when the pears are done-and the time varies depending on the variety
of pear and degree of ripeness-the cooking juices in the pan are not yet
reduced to a dense, syrupy consistency, uncover the pan and raise the heat
to evaporate excess liquid. On the other hand, if the cooking juices are
already dense while the pears are still hard, add a little water and continue
cooking, with the cover on and askew, until they are done.
8. Transfer the pears to a serving platter, placing them flat side down.
They look most
attractive in a round dish with their narrow ends meeting in the center.
9. Remove as much of the bay leaves as you can from the pan. Allow the cooking
juices to cool slightly until they are just fluid enough to be poured, but
not runny. With a spoon pour the syrupy juice over the pears, covering them
as completely as possible.
10. Serve the pears as soon as they are cool, or several hours later, but
do not refrigerate.
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