poached pears in ginger wine

Serves 4

Preparation time 15 minutes

Cooking time 35 minutes

4 firm dessert pears

1 tablespoon lemon juice

300 ml (½ pint) ginger wine

50 g (2 oz) caster sugar

1 cinnamon stick, halved

Peel the pears, leaving the stalks attached, and brush with the lemon juice to prevent discoloration. Pour the wine into a shallow ovenproof dish and place on the lower rack of the halogen oven.

Set the temperature to 250°C (482°F) and cook for about 5 minutes until hot. Stir in the sugar, then carefully add the pears and cinnamon. Reduce the heat to 150°C (302°F) and cook for 25–30 minutes until the pears are tender. (The cooking time will vary slightly depending on the ripeness of the pears.) Turn and baste the pears with the wine a couple of times during cooking.

Transfer the pears to small serving dishes and spoon over the syrup. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

For poached pears with chocolate sauce, prepare and cook the pears as above, using 300 ml (½ pint) white wine instead of the ginger wine. To make the chocolate sauce, put 125 g (4 oz) caster sugar in a small saucepan with 125 ml (4 fl oz) water. Heat gently until the sugar has dissolved. Boil the syrup for 1 minute, then remove from the heat and leave to cool slightly. Stir in 200 g (7 oz) chopped plain dark chocolate and 25 g (1 oz) unsalted butter. Stir until the chocolate and butter melt to make a smooth sauce. Return to a very gentle heat if needed, to ensure that all the chocolate has melted.