PEARS IN RED WINE WITH ICE CREAM AND CHOCOLATE SAUCE

Pears In Red Wine With Ice Cream And Chocolate Sauce image

Provided by Craig Claiborne And Pierre Franey

Categories dessert

Time 30m

Yield 12 servings

Number Of Ingredients 9

Ingredients

1 orange
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1/2 cup sugar
1 bottle dry red wine, preferably a heavy and coarse wine like a Zinfandel
6 fully ripe pears, preferably Bosc or Bartlett
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons Grand Marnier
12 scoops homemade or store-bought vanilla ice cream

Steps:

Using a swivel-bladed paring knife, peel away the thin outer skin of the orange. Do not use the pulp. Put the skin in a casserole. Put the remainder of the orange to another use.
To the casserole, add the peppercorns, sugar and red wine. Bring the mixture to the boil.
Meanwhile, peel the pears. Cut off and discard the stems. Cut the pears in half lengthwise. Using a melon ball scoop, cut away and discard the cores of each pear half. Put the pear halves, cut side down, in the red-wine mixture. Cover the pears with a clean linen cloth, letting it soak on top of the pears in the wine. Bring to the boil and cook 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Meanwhile, put the chocolate in a saucepan and place the saucepan in a slightly larger basin of water. Bring the water to the boil and let the chocolate melt. Add the cream and Grand Marnier and stir to blend.
Spoon one scoop of ice cream onto each of 12 individual dessert dishes. Top each scoop with a pear half, cut side down. Spoon the hot chocolate sauce over all and serve immediately.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 461, UnsaturatedFat 6 grams, Carbohydrate 59 grams, Fat 19 grams, Fiber 5 grams, Protein 5 grams, SaturatedFat 12 grams, Sodium 86 milligrams, Sugar 48 grams