Active Time

　　20 min

　　Total Time

　　1 1/2 hr

　　Though poaching pears in wine often results in a subtle, sophisticated dessert, it rarely looks as lovely as it tastes. Here, Grimes took inspiration from the saturated-red glassware that's ubiquitous in Parisian flea markets and from a dessert at Le Chateaubriand, which uses beet to give the pears a lush garnet hue. As far as its flavor goes, the beet doesn't lend anything more than a nice balance to the overall dish, but you'll probably want to poach pears this way from now on.

　　

Ingredients

Makes 6 servings

　　2 cups Orange Muscat such as Essencia (from a 750-ml bottle)

　　1 medium red beet (1/4 pound), peeled and sliced

　　1 tablespoon sugar

　　2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

　　1 (2-inch) cinnamon stick

　　2 Turkish bay leaves or 1 California

　　3 small firm-ripe pears (3/4 to 1 pound total), such as Forelle, peeled, halved lengthwise, and cored

　　

Step 1

Bring wine, beet, sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, and bay leaves to a boil in a 1 1/2- to 2-quarts saucepan, stirring until sugar has dissolved.

　　

Step 2

Add pears and cover with a round of parchment paper. Simmer, turning occasionally, until pears are tender and liquid is syrupy, 35 to 40 minutes. Transfer pears to a bowl. Discard cinnamon stick and bay leaves and pour syrup over pears. Cool completely in syrup, about 30 minutes.

　　Cooks' note:

　　Poached pears can be made 1 day ahead and chilled. Bring to room temperature before serving.