3 cups Old Brown Sherry
3 cups water
3 cups caster sugar
2 cinnamon sticks
1 vanilla bean
6 pears
Method
Place 3 cups sherry, 3 cups water and 3 cups caster sugar in a large saucepan.
Add 2 cinnamon sticks, broken, and 1 vanilla bean, split.
Stir over a low heat until sugar dissolves. Bring to a gentle simmer.
Peel 6 pears and remove hard core from base.
Place pears in poaching liquid. Cover with a circle of baking paper and cover with lid. Reduce heat to low.
Cook, covered, for 40 minutes, turning occasionally, until pears are very tender.
Carefully remove pears from liquid and place in serving bowls.
Spoon over some of the poaching liquid.
Serve warm or alternatively at room temperature.
This also preserves well, I always put a couple of pears in a sterilized jar.
Prepared, tried and tested by: Julia Blau