Italian Poached Pears with Vanilla

Combine the white wine, water, caster sugar, vanilla pod and seeds, lemon zest strips, cinnamon stick, and star anise in a saucepan wide enough to hold all four pears upright. Place over medium heat and stir gently until the sugar has completely dissolved. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 5 minutes to allow the spices to infuse the syrup. The kitchen will smell extraordinary at this point — that is exactly right. Taste the syrup; it should be fragrant, lightly sweet, and warmly spiced.

Peel the pears carefully, keeping the stalks fully intact — the stalk is both practical for handling and beautiful for presentation. Using a melon baller or small teaspoon, core each pear from the base, scooping out the seeds and tough core while leaving the pear whole. Rub the peeled pears immediately with the reserved lemon juice to prevent browning. The lemon juice also brightens the flavour of the finished dessert.

Lower the pears into the simmering syrup, standing them upright if possible. If they tip over, that is fine — just turn them gently every 8 minutes so they colour and cook evenly on all sides. Cover with a circle of baking paper pressed directly onto the surface of the liquid (a cartouche) to keep the pears submerged and cooking evenly. Poach over a gentle, steady simmer for 25–30 minutes until a thin skewer slides into the thickest part of each pear with no resistance. The pears should be completely tender but still holding their shape — not collapsing.

Carefully lift the pears out of the syrup with a slotted spoon and set aside to cool slightly. Remove the vanilla pod, cinnamon stick, star anise, and lemon zest from the syrup. Increase the heat to medium-high and boil the syrup vigorously for 8–10 minutes until it has reduced by half and thickened into a glossy, lightly syrupy sauce that coats the back of a spoon. The pears can be served warm immediately, or cooled and refrigerated in the syrup for up to 3 days — they improve overnight as they absorb more flavour. Spoon the reduced syrup generously over each pear to serve.