Pere al vino rosso - Poached Pears in Red Wine

This is a fruit pudding I like to serve after any winter meal. It is a plain but generous dish. Easy to make, it infuses its aroma over the house - better than any scented candle -, it  enchants the eyes with its warm red and delights the palate with its delicate sweetness. The vanilla ice cream would enhance the deep colour and the smooth syrup of the dish. 

It is important to use a good- quality wine, a full body red one of your choice. 

Pere al vino rosso - Poached Pears in Red Wine 

4 large firm pears
750 ml full body and good-quality red wine
1 vanilla pod
170 g caster sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
5 cloves
The zest of 1 orange
Vanilla ice cream (optional)

Serves 4
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 75 minutes

1. Peel the pears using a potato peeler and keep them whole, leaving the stalk intact. 
2. Arrange them in a saucepan big enough to hold them.
3. Halve the vanilla pod lengthways and scrape out the seeds.
4. Cover the pears with the wine, add sugar, cinnamon, cloves, vanilla seeds and orange zest; bring it to the boil. Leave it to bubble for 3 minutes to allow the alcohol to evaporate. 
5. Cover with the lid, reduce to medium-low heat and leave to simmer for up to 50 minutes, or until the pears are well cooked and tender. The cooking time will depend on the ripeness of the pears. If the wine doesn’t fully cover the pears, turn them over during the cooking process in order to have them evenly cooked.
6. With a slotted spoon, carefully transfer the pears on a plate.
7. Drain the liquid, return it to the pan and reduce it for 20 minutes to a syrupy consistency.
8. Serve the pears at room temperature with the tepid syrup spooned over and a scoop of vanilla ice scream on a side, if you like.