It’s been a long time since I’ve posted a recipe. Life’s been throwing a bunch of busy-fying things my way (good things!), and I’ve fallen behind on the blogging front. I’ll tell you more about it soon, but in the meantime I hope you’ll bear with me as I try to reconfigure my juggling strategy. 😉
![Spiced pears with tangy, herbed goat cheese served over crisp endive - an easy and impressive appetizer or hors d'oeuvre.](https://thejoyfulfoodie.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/17684947052_0561415e09_c.jpg)
Anyway, wine poached pears! The first time I encountered wine poached pears was in dessert form. I never put any thought into different applications for it until earlier this year when I encountered wine poached pears in a savory hors d’oeuvre at The Village Pub. Mind blown. I knew I had to do my own take on it.
![Spiced pears with tangy, herbed goat cheese served over crisp endive - an easy and impressive appetizer or hors d'oeuvre.](https://thejoyfulfoodie.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/17499906570_f6a9793fe6_c.jpg)
I love the mix of savory and sweet that I ended up with. The pears are poached in red wine with a bit of clove, giving them a hint of mulled wine flavor. No added sugar, of course, because the pears themselves are plenty sweet enough for this application.
![Spiced pears with tangy, herbed goat cheese served over crisp endive - an easy and impressive appetizer or hors d'oeuvre.](https://thejoyfulfoodie.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/17687656491_c8dd24c5fe_c.jpg)
Next came the hand to mouth delivery vehicle – endive. Fresh and crunchy with just a hint of bitterness to counter the sweet pears.
![Spiced pears with tangy, herbed goat cheese served over crisp endive - an easy and impressive appetizer or hors d'oeuvre.](https://thejoyfulfoodie.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/17687652071_6aa8f43eab_c.jpg)
And finally, the cheese. I experimented with different kinds and finally settled on herbed goat cheese (chevre) as my favorite. The herbs played well with the mulled wine-like pears while the chevre helped anchor the savory aspect of the dish. Such a winning combo. If you can’t get your hands on herbed chevre, go for the plain stuff and top with your favorite fresh herbs.
![Spiced pears with tangy, herbed goat cheese served over crisp endive - an easy and impressive appetizer or hors d'oeuvre.](https://thejoyfulfoodie.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/17499891440_10f846303e_c.jpg)
Wine Poached Pears with Goat Cheese and Endive
Prep time 10 mins
Cook time 15 mins
Total time 25 mins
Author: Joy @ The Joyful Foodie
Serves: serves 6-8
Ingredients
- 1 cup red wine
- 2-4 bay leaves
- 8-10 whole cloves
- 3 pears
- ¼ lb soft goat cheese
- 2 small heads of endive
Instructions
- Peel and dice pears.
- Place pears, wine, bay leaves and cloves in a small saucepan over medium high heat and bring to a boil.
- Lower heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
- Cut the bottom off the endive heads and separate the leaves.
- Spoon a couple teaspoons of pears into each leaf and top with goat cheese.
![Spiced pears with tangy, herbed goat cheese served over crisp endive - an easy and impressive appetizer or hors d'oeuvre.](https://thejoyfulfoodie.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/17064916234_8bb5c80d82_c.jpg)
Have you ever had wine poached pears in a savory dish?
So you’re a fellow foodie? Come connect with me!
Facebook | Pinterest | Twitter | Instagram | Google+