Red Wine Poached Pears

1. In a saucepan, combine sugar, orange peel, cloves, cinnamon, red wine, water or orange juice, and vanilla extract.

2. Bring the red wine mixture to a simmer, stirring to dissolve the sugar.

3.If you used fresh fruits, strain the red wine liquid to remove seeds or fruit pulp. Discard the seeds and pulp, but keep the cloves, orange peel, and cinnamon. Return the liquid to the saucepan. Note: Skip this step if you didn't use fresh fruits with seeds and pulp.

4. Peel the pears only when the poaching liquid is ready, to prevent discolouration.

5. Place the peeled pears in the poaching liquid and simmer on medium-low heat for 20 – 25 minutes. Rotate the pears every 5 minutes to ensure even poaching on all sides, including the tops.

6. Once the pears are poached, keep them in the liquid and remove the saucepan from the heat. Allow the pears to cool in the poaching liquid.

7. For chilled serving, refrigerate the poached pears. Alternatively, they can be served at room temperature.

8. Before serving, remove the pears from the poaching liquid and place them on a plate, covering with plastic wrap.

9. Heat the remaining liquid in the saucepan and bring it to a simmer. Simmer for a few minutes until the liquid slightly thickens into a syrup. Adjust the cooking time based on the amount of liquid remaining. If the syrup is too thick, add a little water to thin it out.

10. Arrange the poached pears on a serving plate and brush them with the syrup for a shiny appearance.

11.Drizzle some syrup over each pear and serve with whipped mascarpone cheese or whipped cream – and raspberries.