Spice House Pears Recipe: Step-by-Step

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To see the recipe in traditional list format, see Recipe: Spice House Pears. What you'll need:
1 large bowl
1 large saucepan
A vegetable peeler
Water Ingredients:
6 pears
1 lemon
1 bottle dry white wine
1 1⁄2 cups sugar
4 star anise
1 vanilla bean
2 cinnamon sticks
1⁄4 tsp. saffron threads

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Remove lemon peel in strips with a vegetable peeler. Squeeze the peeled lemon halves into a bowl of water.

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Peel 6 pears.

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Place peeled pears in lemon water to prevent discoloring.

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Combine 1 bottle of wine, 1 cup water, 1 1/2 cups of sugar, 4 star anise, 1 vanilla bean, 2 cinnamon sticks, and reserved lemon peel in a large saucepan. Bring to boil over medium heat.

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Add pears, reduce heat, and simmer for 20 minutes.

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Remove pears and cool.

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Raise the heat and bring poaching syrup to slow boil.

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Crumble in the 1/4 tsp. of saffron.

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Reduce liquid to 3 cups (I reduced my liquid a bit more, giving it a gorgeous amber color and more assertive sweetness).

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Serves 6. The pears are marvelous alone, but they'd be really lovely with a bit of pound cake and vanilla ice cream. Return to SAVEUR Time Machine: Issue #1, Spice House Pears.