Bosc Pears in Rosé Wine with Persimmon Ice Cream

From the kitchen of Carly

Honeyed Bosc pears caramelize in rosé wine with thyme, then simmer until tender and juicy. A scoop of persimmon ice cream melts into the warm, boozy syrup, creating the kind of elegant dessert that tastes fancy but feels completely natural.

Bosc Pears in Rosé Wine with Persimmon Ice Cream

Caramelized Bosc pears get elegant without fuss: a quick sear on the cut side builds color, then the fruit finishes gentle in reduced rosé and honey. The thyme stays quiet in the background while the wine reduces to something syrupy and concentrated. Cold persimmon ice cream is the whole point, melting into those pockets of warmth.

Prep
n/a
Cook
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Total
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Servings
4
Difficulty
medium

Ingredients

4 servings

  • 1 tbspbutter
  • 3firm but ripe medium Bosc pears, peeled, halved, cored
  • 6fresh thyme sprigs
  • 1 1/3 cupsemi-dry rosé wine
  • 1/4 cupwildflower honey
  • 1Persimmon Ice Cream

Instructions

  1. Set a heavy large skillet over medium-high heat and melt the butter. Lay the pears in cut side down, then tuck the thyme sprigs in around them. Let the pears cook without flipping until the cut faces turn golden brown, about 3 minutes, then transfer them to a plate. Pour the rosé wine and wildflower honey into the same skillet and boil, scraping up any browned bits, until the liquid reduces to about 1 cup, roughly 4 minutes. Drop the heat to medium-low, nestle the pears back in cut side up, and spoon some of the pan juices over them. Cover and simmer until the pears are tender all the way through, about 10 minutes. (The pears can be made up to 4 hours ahead; uncover and leave at room temperature, then rewarm before continuing if you like.)

  2. On each of 6 plates, set a warm or room-temperature pear half cut side up. Drizzle the sauce from the skillet over each one, then spoon a scoop of Persimmon Ice Cream alongside and serve.

Tips from the kitchen

  • Sear the pears cut side down first and don't move them, those 3 minutes build a golden crust that tastes better than any amount of extra cooking.
  • Reduce the wine hard before adding the pears back in, so the pears finish in a proper glaze rather than broth.
  • The pears hold fine for 4 hours, but warm them gently before serving so they're not cold against the ice cream.

Variations

  • Swap rosé for dry white wine or even dessert wine for deeper fruit notes.
  • Skip the ice cream and serve the pears over Greek yogurt with a scatter of toasted hazelnuts instead.
  • Use firm Bartlett or Comice pears if you can't find Bosc, but Bosc's texture holds better through cooking.

Make ahead and storage

Pears keep covered in the fridge for up to 4 days. Rewarm in a low oven or on the stovetop over low heat until just warm through.