Begin by gathering the ingredients so that you have everything close at hand on the counter or table.
Prepare the Ingredients
Prepare the Anjou pears by coring and slicing them. (I like to leave the skin on.)
Cut off a large strip of peel from a fresh orange, or the equivalent of.
Poach the Pears
Place the elderberry wine, granulated sugar, orange peel, cinnamon stick, and whole cloves in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, and stir until the sugar is dissolved.
Add the sliced pears, making sure they are covered by the wine. Reduce heat to a simmer, and cook for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally to ensure pears are cooked evenly.
Remove the pears and place in a bowl or plate to cool. Strain the orange peel, cinnamon stick, and whole cloves from the poaching liquid. Cover and refrigerate the pears until ready to serve.
Finish the Wine Sauce
Continue to simmer the sauce for another 8-10 minutes until the wine thickens slightly into a syrup. Allow to cool to room temperature before serving.
The syrup will thicken even more as it cools. If it becomes too thick, simply add a little water to it and stir to incorporate.
Prepare the Chantilly Cream
While the sauce cools, prepare the Chantilly Cream. In a large mixing bowl, combine cold, heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract.For best results, use a metal mixing bowl that has been chilled in the refrigerator and is cold.
Whisk ingredients together on low speed, and gradually increase to high speed, beating until the cream is thick and fluffy, approximately 4-5 minutes. Another term for this is to beat until stiff peaks form.You'll know when stiff peaks has been reached if you can turn the whisk upside down and the cream doesn't fall.
Place the cream in a covered container or piping bag and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Serve the 2-3 poached pears on individual plates and lightly stream the syrup over the pears. (Do not coat the pears with the syrup as this will make them overly sweet.) Pipe a dollop of Chantilly Cream to the top of the pears and garnish with pomegranate arils, if desired. This recipe will serve 4-6 people.