Poached pears in red wine

Ingredients: 1 bottle red wine cup caster sugar 3 tablespoons honey Juice of lemon 1 cinnamon stick 1 vanilla pod, split open lengthways 5 cm piece of orange rind 1 clove 1 black peppercorn 4 firm pears Whipped cream or soured cream to serve

Methods: Place the wine, sugar, honey, lemon juice, cinnamon stick, vanilla pod, orange rind, clove and peppercorn in a saucepan just large enough to hold the pears standing upright. Heat gently, stirring occasionally until the sugar has completely dissolved. Meanwhile, peel the pears, leaving the stem intact. Take a thin slice off the base of each pear so that it will stand square and upright. Place the pears in the wine mixture, then simmer, uncovered for 20-35 minutes depending on size and ripeness, until the

pears are just tender; be careful not to overcook. Carefully transfer the pears to a bowl using a slotted spoon. Continue to boil the poaching liquid until reduce by about half. Leave to cool, then strain the cooled liquid over the pears and chill for at least 3 hours. Place the pears in four individual serving dishes and spoon over a little of the red wine syrup. Serve with whipped cream or soured cream.