Pêras Bêbedas (Portuguese Drunken Pears)

Pêras Bêbedas (Portuguese Drunken Pears)

Sandra Correia

Pêras Bêbedas, or Portuguese Drunken Pears, are whole pears gently poached in red wine with cinnamon and citrus until tender and ruby red, then finished with a glossy syrup for an elegant yet simple traditional dessert.

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Prep Time 10

Cook Time 30

Total Time 40

Course Dessert

Cuisine portuguese

Servings 4

Ingredients

2 ripe but firm pears (Bosc or Anjou)
1 ½ cups dry red wine
2-3 tablespoon sugar
1 cinnamon stick
1 strip lemon peel
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1-2 cloves (optional)
2 tablespoon chopped almond or walnuts for garnish

Instructions

Prepare the pears
Peel the pears, keeping them whole with the stems intact if possible. Set aside.
Make the poaching liquid
In a small saucepan, combine red wine, sugar, cinnamon stick, lemon peel, lemon juice, and cloves (if using). Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat and stir until the sugar dissolves.
Poach the pears
Add the pears to the saucepan. The liquid should come at least halfway up the pears. Cover and simmer gently for 20 to 30 minutes, turning occasionally so they colour evenly, until tender when pierced with a knife.
Reduce the syrup
Remove the pears and set aside. Continue simmering the liquid uncovered for 5 to 10 minutes until slightly thickened and glossy.
Serve
Place pears in a serving dish, spoon the warm syrup over top, and garnish with toasted almonds or walnuts.

Notes

Use firm pears to prevent them from falling apart.
If your pot is wide, you may need closer to 1½ cups of wine to ensure proper coverage.
The flavour deepens beautifully after resting overnight.
Store refrigerated, fully submerged in syrup, for up to 3 days.