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Spiced pears in red wine
Serves 4
Time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 40-50 minutes
4 firm pears with stalks attached
1 bottle inexpensive fruity red wine
50 g (2 oz) golden caster sugar
2 cinnamon sticks
1 vanilla pod
6 cloves
1 bay leaf
1 orange, quartered
Peel the pears working from the stalk to the base of the pear. Cut a thin slice from the base of each pear so they will stand upright when served. Pour the wine, sugar, spices, bay leaf and orange into a medium sized saucepan and bring to the boil. Add the pears. Bring the wine back to a simmer and cook slowly for 30-40 minutes, turning the pears occasionally. Firm pears will need a longer cooking time than softer pears. Check the pears by piercing with a skewer. When cooked, remove the pears from the pan and place upright on individual shallow dishes or plates. Cover to keep warm. Strain the cooking liquor and return it to the pan. Simmer rapidly to reduce the liquid to syrup thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Pour the syrup over the pears and serve immediately with extra thick cream.
tip: You may wish to serve this dish chilled. Cover and refrigerate the pears and syrup separately and coat with the sauce just before serving with vanilla ice cream. For an autumn dessert try using strong dry cider instead of red wine.
