Start this Thanksgiving meal off with a gorgeous poached pear!

These pears look super fancy, but are so simple to prepare. Finish off this sweet dish with a  salty compliment of Jamón Ibérico prosciutto from Spain or Jambon de Bayonne French prosciutto and the family will think they have eaten at the finest of restaurants this holiday!

This beautiful appetizer can be plated individually for a sit down meal. If you are planning a buffet, group the pears on a large platter. The pears can be poached the day ahead and served room temperature…or poached just before dinner and served warm. Either way they are super delicious and make a beautiful presentation!

You will need one pear per person.

Secklund or Bosc Pears with stems intact
Ibérico or Jambon de Bayonne prosciutto
2 cups of white wine
2 cinnamon sticks
Rind of one lemon~ plus the juice
1 cup of pure maple syrup

Fresh mint for garnish

Pure Maple Syrup for garnish

Peel the pears leaving the stem intact.
Place the pears in the bottom of a heavy pot. Add the lemon rind, and cinnamon sticks to the pot. Squeeze the juice from the lemon onto the pears. Pour the maple syrup directly over the pears. Add the white wine to the pot along with enough water to cover the pears.
Bring the mixture to a boil and then lower heat to simmer for 40-60 minutes or until a fork will sink into the pears.
When the pears have simmered to a softened  texture, remove the pot from the heat and let pears stand in the liquid for twenty minutes. Remove the pears gently and serve or cover with plastic and refrigerate over night.

Click here for printable instructions Poached Pear with Prosciutto

Click through the gallery for step-by-step photos~