Poached Pears in Red Wine

Scrub the orange and pare off a strip of peel about 8 cm long with a vegetable peeler, leaving the bitter white pith behind. Split the vanilla pod lengthways and scrape out the seeds with the tip of a knife.

Put the red wine, sugar, cinnamon stick, star anise, cloves, orange peel and the vanilla pod and its seeds in a deep saucepan about 22 cm across, in which the pears will fit snugly on their sides. Warm over a medium heat, stirring, until the sugar has dissolved.

Meanwhile, peel the pears with a vegetable peeler, leaving the stalks on and keeping their shape smooth. Cut a thin slice off the base of each so it will stand upright, then scoop out the core from the base with a melon baller or teaspoon.

Lower the pears into the wine straight away so they do not brown, and bring it to a gentle simmer. Lay a circle of baking paper with a small hole in the centre on the surface; it traps the steam so the parts above the wine colour too.

Simmer gently for 25 to 35 minutes, turning the pears every 10 minutes so they colour evenly, until a thin knife slides into the thickest part with no resistance. Riper pears are ready sooner, very firm ones take longer.

Lift the pears into a serving dish with a slotted spoon. Turn up the heat and boil the wine, uncovered, for 15 to 20 minutes, until it has reduced to about 250 ml and coats the back of a spoon. It thickens further as it cools, so stop before it turns sticky.

Strain the syrup over the pears and baste them until glossy. Set the cinnamon stick and star anise beside them to decorate, if you like.

Serve warm, with the crème fraîche alongside, if using. To serve the pears chilled, leave them to cool in the syrup, turning them now and then, and chill until cold, ideally overnight; the colour deepens as they sit.