Ingredients
- 4 cups port wine
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 vanilla bean
- split lengthwise and scraped
- seeds and pod reserved
- 1 (2-inch) stick cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon whole allspice
- 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 firm Bosc or Anjou pears (about 1 pound)
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients except pears in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring until sugar is completely dissolved.
- Meanwhile, peel pears, leaving the stems intact.
- Slice off the bottom 1/8 inch of each pear to create a flat, stable base.
- Reduce heat to keep poaching liquid at a bare simmer and add pears, laying them on their sides so that they are almost completely submerged.
- Cook, turning pears occasionally so that they become saturated on all sides, until they are just tender when pierced with a fork, about 7 minutes.
- Allow pears to cool completely in the poaching liquid.
- Serve or transfer pears and liquid to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
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