“The war had not touched the fabled bounty of Highgarden.  While singers sang and tumblers tumbled, they began with pears poached in wine…” -A Clash of Kings

Modern Poached Pears

Thoughts:

These are utterly delicious.  

Imbued with a vibrant pink color from the wine, the medieval pears have a soft, warm texture, and aren’t overly sweet.  The taste is reminiscent of mulled wine, redolent with spices.  This is an authentically medieval dessert that will transport you to a seat at a long trestle table in a huge stone hall, with hounds fighting for scraps in the corner, and the buzz of mead-inspired conversation all around.

The modern recipe produces an absolutely exquisite dessert. The caramel sauce  is warm and gooey, and somehow gives the impression of butter and spices that aren’t actually there, all of which is underlain by the subtlest of orange flavors. It tastes of autumn, of crisp days spent in an orchard, and evenings in by the fire.

Both of these recipes are winners, and can be found in the Cookbook.