Try this recipe for poached pears, drenched in a cinnamon-spiced red wine. This low-fat dessert is perfect for dinner party entertaining.
Prep:20 mins
Serves 6
1 vanilla pod1 bottle red wine225g caster sugar1 cinnamon stick, halvedfresh thyme sprig, plus sprigs to seve6 pears, peeled, but kept whole with stalk intact
STEP 1Halve the vanilla pod lengthways, scrape out the black seeds and put in a large saucepan with the wine, sugar, cinnamon and thyme. Cut each piece of pod into three long thin strips, add to pan, then lower in the pears.STEP 2Poach the pears, covered, for 20-30 mins, making sure they are covered in the wine. The cooking time will very much depend on the ripeness of your pears – they should be tender all the way through when pierced with a cocktail stick. You can make these up to 2 days ahead and chill.STEP 3Take the pears from the pan, then boil the liquid to reduce it by half so that it’s syrupy. Serve each pear with the cooled syrup, a strip of vanilla, a piece of cinnamon and a small thyme sprig.
