Poached Pears
- 1 (750-ml) bottle white wine, such as Chardonnay
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 5 pink peppercorns
- 3 whole cloves
- 2 whole star anise
- 2 whole allspice
- ¼ cup honey
- ½ vanilla bean, split lengthwise, seeds scraped and reserved
- Peel from 1 orange
- Peel from 1 lemon
- 6 firm Bosc pears, peeled, stems intact
- Garnish: honey
- In a large pot, combine wine, water, light brown sugar, cinnamon sticks, pink peppercorns, cloves, star anise, allspice, honey, vanilla bean seeds, orange peel, and lemon peel. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium, and simmer for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to low, and maintain a constant simmer.
- Add pears, and poach until tender, 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove from poaching liquid, and let drain.
- Halve pears and remove core. Serve with poaching liquid. Garnish with a drizzle of honey, if desired.
Recipe by Victoria at https://www.victoriamag.com/gingerbread-pear-loaf/
3.5.3226