Poached Pears – Chateau Dinner

Peel the pears. Remove any white pith from the back of the orange peel with a sharp knife. In a large saucepan, gently heat the wine and sugar. Once the sugar has dissolved, add the orange peel and the spices, and bring to a boil. Lower in the pears and simmer, turning once or twice, until tender. About 20 minutes.

Remove the pot from the heat and let the pears cool in the syrup. Or, to serve warm, remove the pears to plates, cutting a sliver from the bottom so they’ll stand straight. Strain the liquid into a wide saucepan and boil down to a light syrup, about 10 minutes. Spoon over the pears and serve.