INGREDIENTS
1 750-ml bottle dry red wine
2 1/4 cups sugar
2 cups water
1/2 cup orange juice
2 teaspoons grated orange peel
1 teaspoon ground cardamom 1 cinnamon stick
4 firm but ripe pears, peeled, stems left intact
DIRECTIONS
Combine all ingredients, except pears, in heavy large saucepan. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves and mixture comes to simmer. Add pears and return mixture to simmer. Reduce heat and simmer slowly until pears are tender when pierced with knife, about 25 minutes. Transfer pears to plate. Boil liquid in saucepan until reduced to 3 cups, about 20 minutes. Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill pears in poaching liquid. Before serving, rewarm over medium-low heat until pears are heated through. Slice pears in half and arrange on plate. Drizzle some poaching liquid over. You can serve with a scoop of softened vanilla bean ice cream and some crumbled biscotti!
