Place the
wine, sugar, honey, lemon juice, cinnamon stick, vanilla pod, orange
rind, clove and peppercorn in a saucepan just large enough to hold the
pears standing upright. Heat gently, stirring occasionally until the
sugar has completely dissolved. Meanwhile, peel the pears, leaving the
stem intact. Take a thin slice off the base of each pear so that it will
stand square and upright.
Place the
pears in the wine mixture, then simmer, uncovered, for 20-35 minutes
depending on size and ripeness, until the pears are just tender; be
careful not to overcook. Carefully transfer the pears to a bowl using a
slotted spoon. Continue to boil the poaching liquid until reduce by
about half. Leave to cool, then strain the cooled liquid over the pears
and chill for at least 3 hours.
Place the
pears in four individual serving dishes and spoon over a little of the
red wine syrup. Serve with whipped cream or soured cream. Raspberries
could be used in place of all or just some of the strawberries in this
jelly. If the raspberries are frozen, stir them into the jelly while it
is still warm, otherwise it will set immediately.
