​You can’t get a better winter holiday flavor in the Netherlands than stoofpeertjes (poached pears). The first key to making great stoofpeertjes is to get the right pear variety: the Gieser Wildeman. Ask your local produce store about them. The second is to get the right flavors using good quality flavor makers, like the spices. Bold Spices brings you the best cinnamon in the world from the North of Vietnam. We encourage you to experiment by adding other spices, like cardamom or star anise. You can serve the pears luke-warm or cold. They work both as a side dish to your meal or as a dessert with ice cream. Preserved in the cooking liquids they should stay fresh for at least 3 days when refrigerated.

Spiced poached pears

for 4 people
20 minutes preparation, 1.5-2 hours on the stove

Ingredients

1kg Gieser Wildeman pears
0.5L full-bodied red wine or port, or a combo
0.2L water
50g brown sugar or replacement sugar/syrup
1 tbsp Bold Spices Vietnamese cinnamon
½ tsp salt
1 tsp potato starch
3 cloves (optional)
3 cardamom pods (optional)
2 star anise (optional)
2 orange peels (optional)

Instructions

1. Peel the pears but leave the stem on. Cut a layer off the bottom to make them flat. Optionally remove the core (without cutting the pear, for example with a melon baller).
2. Choose a pot in which the pears fit in snug. Place them bottom down. Add all the other ingredients. Add water until the pears are just covered.
3. Bring to a boil and simmer on the lowest possible setting for 1.5-2 hours. You should be able to pierce a fork in quite easily and the pear shouldn’t fall apart.
4. When the pears are done, carefully take them out of the pot and bring the liquids to a boil. Mix the potato starch with a little bit of water and stir in with the liquids. This will help the liquids stick to the pears when serving them.