POACHED PEARS WITH SWEET WINE AND FRUIT CONFETTI

Poached Pears with Sweet Wine and Fruit Confetti image

Yield Serves 6

Number Of Ingredients 10

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6 small firm but ripe Anjou pears, peeled
3 1/2 cups sweet white or red wine (such as Moscato) from 1-liter bottle
2 cups pear nectar
1 cinnamon stick, broken in half
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
1 1/2 teaspoons arrowroot
1/2 cup chopped peeled kiwi
1/2 cup chopped peeled seeded cantaloupe
1/2 cup quartered hulled strawberries
Fresh mint sprigs

Steps:

Using melon baller, remove core from bottom end of pears. Combine wine, pear nectar and cinnamon stick in large pot. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; add bean. Bring to simmer. Add pears (liquid should cover pears halfway). Reduce heat to medium-low; cook until pears are tender, about 10 minutes, turning pears halfway through. Transfer pears and cooking liquid to large bowl. Cool completely.
Drain poaching liquid back into pot. Mix 2 tablespoons liquid with arrowroot in small bowl; return to pot. Boil until sauce thickens and is reduced to 2 cups, stirring occasionally, about 12 minutes. Cool sauce to room temperature. (Pears and sauce can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover separately and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before serving.)
Spoon sauce into 6 shallow bowls. Place pears atop sauce. Sprinkle kiwi, cantaloupe and strawberries around pears. Garnish with mint and serve.