Poached pears with bay syrup

Method

1 Put the sugar in a sauté pan with 400ml cold water. Stir over a low heat until the sugar dissolves completely, then add the honey, lemon zest, bay leaves and peppercorns and bring to the boil. Simmer for about 10 minutes or until the syrup coats the back of a spoon.

2 Halve the pears lengthways. There is no need to peel them and removing the cores is optional.

3 Add the lemon juice to the pan, followed by the pears, cut side down. Poach the fruit gently in the syrup for 15 minutes or more, until it is tender and translucent, and turning it when about half done.

4 Remove and cool the pears. Cool and strain the syrup, saving the bay leaves. Measure 100ml of the syrup into a bowl and stir in the wine. Reserve the remaining bay syrup for another use.

5 Serve the pear halves in pairs with a little of the syrup – about 2 tbsp each – and a bay leaf.

Recipe by Shona Crawford Poole