Pears in red wine recipe, a very typical dessert from La Rioja

Pears in red wine are a classic dessert, associated with the grape harvest and very typical in La Rioja. It is a very simple recipe to make, as it consists of cooking the pears with a broth made of red wine, sugar and cinnamon. This simplicity is also an opportunity to use quality products, such as Rincón de Soto pears, with a protected designation of origin, or a good red wine, such as a Crianza de La Rioja.

As well as using quality products, the trick is to cook the pears in red wine with the pot covered; which helps the fruit juices, wine and cinnamon to soak in. This dessert can also be flavoured with vanilla or citrus peels, as well as with star anise or cardamom. Below we tell you how to prepare this simple and quick dessert typical of La Rioja.

Ingredients for pears in red wine:

• 8 white or conference pears
• 500 ml of red wine
• 250 g of sugar
• 1 cinnamon stick
• Water

Preparation of the pears in red wine:

1. Wash the pears, especially the stem part, and peel them. Leave the stem. Once they are peeled, put them in a pot. Add the wine, sugar, cinnamon and finally water until the pears are covered.
2. Turn on the heat and, once the pears in red wine start to boil, cover the pot. Leave them to cook until they are tender and the broth is thick. While they are cooking, turn them over from time to time so that they absorb the wine well. Once they are tender, turn off the heat, take them out and put them on the plate where you are going to serve them.
3. You can reduce the juice left in the pot by putting it back on the heat until it becomes like caramel. Pour it over the pears to give them more flavour and a much more intense colour.