Master Recipe 
Poached Pears in Beaumes-de-Venise Wine with Ginger and Honey
Pears are a favorite fruit year-round and my preferred fruit for poaching. Here I call upon the sweet muscat-based Provençal wine Beaumes-de-Venise (from the town of the same name), matching it up with vanilla, cloves, rosemary, allspice, cinnamon, and, of course, honey from our property. When cooking with wine, be sure to leave the pot uncovered, letting most of the alcohol evaporate and allowing for rounder, fruitier, firmer flavors. I like to serve this with fresh rosemary sorbet.
6 SERVINGS
EQUIPMENT: 6 chilled dessert plates.
1 plump, fresh vanilla bean
6 small firm pears, peeled, with stems intact
1/4 cup (60 ml) mild honey, such as clover
1-1/2 bottles Beaumes-de-Venise or other sweet muscat-based wine (750 ml each)
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 fresh ginger slices
4 fresh rosemary sprigs
4 whole cloves
8 black peppercorns
8 whole allspice berries
2 cinnamon sticks
Fresh Rosemary Sorbet, for serving (optional)
1. Halve the vanilla bean lengthwise and use the tip of a small spoon to scrape out the seeds.
2. In a large saucepan that will hold the pears upright and snug, combine all the ingredients, including the vanilla bean and seeds. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat and cook, uncovered, just until the pears are cooked through—tender but not mushy—15 to 20 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, very gently turn the pears from time to time so they are evenly coated in the poaching liquid.
3. Remove from the heat and, using a slotted spoon, transfer the pears to a large, shallow bowl. Strain the liquid, reserving the vanilla pod for making Vanilla Sugar and discarding the other solids. Return the liquid to the saucepan and cook over high heat until it has reduced by half, about 10 minutes. The liquid should be light and syrupy. Allow the liquid to cool slightly, then pour it over the cooled pears. Cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours before serving.
4. To serve, cut each pear in half lengthwise and place cut side down on a small chilled dessert plate, spooning the liquid over the pears.