Brischtner Nytlae (Dried Pears Poached in Spice Wine)
Submitted by arlene
A traditional Swiss dessert of dried pears poached in spiced red wine, served alongside creamy walnut rice pudding and a honey-butter wine sauce. Elegant, aromatic, and unforgettable.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
15 minCOOK
25 minREADY
40 minStraight from the Swiss Alps, this is the kind of dessert that makes a dinner party feel like a European holiday.
Dried pears get soaked overnight, then gently poached in red wine laced with cinnamon and clove until they’re plump, wine-dark, and impossibly fragrant.
The sauce? That same spiced wine reduced by half with honey and a knob of butter stirred in. Silky, glossy, and just a touch tart from a squeeze of lemon.
Serve everything at room temperature alongside a creamy rice pudding folded with toasted walnuts and whipped cream.
It looks like something from a Zurich patisserie, but you made it in your own kitchen.
Pro Tips
- Soak the dried pears a full 24 hours. Shortcuts here mean chewy, underdone fruit.
- Use a fruity, medium-bodied red wine you’d actually drink. The flavor concentrates as it reduces.
- Toast the walnuts in a dry skillet until fragrant before folding into the rice pudding. It makes a real difference.
- Candied angelica is traditional for garnish, but a few fresh mint leaves or candied orange peel work as beautiful substitutes.
Ingredients
Directions
PEARS:
Soak the pears one day in advance.
Drain the pears.
In a small saucepan bring wine, cinnamon, sugar and clove to a boil.
Add the pears and simmer for 20 minutes.
Remove the pears, set aside.
SAUCE:
Stir the honey into wine.
Bring to a simmer and reduce liquid over moderate heat to half its volume.
Remove spices.
Stir the butter into the sauce and season with 2 to 3 drops of lemon juice.
Keep warm.
RICE PUDDING:
Bring mild to a boil.
Add a pinch of salt, stir in the rice and cook until tender.
Stir the butter into the rice.
Let cool.
Add some sugar (if necessary !), mix in the walnuts, stir in the kefir and the whipped cream.
SERVING:
Rice and pears should be served at room temperature.
Arrange on dessert plates.
Pour sauce around pears and rice-pudding.
Garnish with chopped angelica (or other ‘fruits confits').
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