Poached Pears In Sauternes

Total Time: 30 mins Preparation Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 6 -12 ripe pears, depending on size
• 1 orange, juice and zest of
• 375 ml sauternes wine or 375 ml other not-too-sweet wine
• 750 ml water
• 50 g honey
• 200 g sugar
• 2 lemons, juice of
• 1 vanilla pod, split
• 1 cinnamon stick, broken into short lengths
• 4 cloves

Recipe

• 1 using a small, sharp knife, score a zigzag pattern in the skin around the top of each pear, working downwards from the stalk.
• 2 leaving the zigzag skin at the top in place, peel the rest of each pear very thinly so as to preserve their shape.
• 3 remove the core from the base, using a corer or a small melon baller.
• 4 combine all the ingredients in a saucepan big enough to hold everything, including the pears.
• 5 set over a medium heat until the liquid comes to the boil, then reduce the heat so that it is barely simmering.
• 6 the cooking time will vary according to the ripeness of the pears.
• 7 very ripe pears will only take 5 minutes; much less ripe fruit will need up to 15 minutes.
• 8 as soon as they are ready, turn off the heat.
• 9 transfer the pears with their poaching syrup to a bowl and leave at room temperature until needed.
• 10 serve one or two pears on each plate with a little orange zest and some syrup.