Pears are notoriously capricious and can take anything from 15 to 50 minutes to poach to tenderness. You need to keep your eye on them. A metal skewer or small, sharp knife is a boon here, and they should be checked every 5 minutes or so during cooking.
Serves 3
red wine 750ml
star anise 3
cloves 5
vanilla pod 1
cinnamon ½ stick
caster sugar 4 tbsp
cardamom pods 7
pears 3, firm
orange peel 2 x 5cm strips
shelled pistachios 2 heaped tbsp
dark chocolate 200g
