Ingredients
1 litre blackcurrant juice (you can also use pear or apple juice)
½ cup of sugar (or less if you prefer)
1 vanilla pod
1 cinnamon stick
Orange zest (1/2 an orange worth with do)
6 pears, peeled and cored

Method
Place the fruit juice into a deep medium size pot, add the sugar (sweetness is up to you) add the vanilla pod and orange zest. Bring to the boil then reduce the temperature to a gentle simmer. Place the pears in the liquid and lid on the pot. Poach gently for 20 minutes or until the pears are tender all the way through.

Remove the pears carefully onto a platter and return the liquid back to heat and boil vigorously until the liquid has reduced to thick syrup. Don’t overcook it or you’ll burn it and stink the house out (like I did the first time)

Serve the pears whole with the fruit syrup poured over with either vanilla ice cream, cream or perhaps crème fraiche.

There were no complaints …

[HT: Otago Farmers Market]