Red wine pears with vanilla ice cream

Preparation

1. Peel and halve the pears and cut out the cores; immediately drizzle the halves with lemon juice to stop them going brown.
2. Bring the red wine, sugar, cinnamon stick, cloves and lemon peel to the boil in a pan until the sugar has dissolved.
3. Poach the pear halves in the liquid over a gentle heat for about 10 minutes until soft but still holding their shape.
4. Take the pan off the heat and leave the pears to cool in the liquid for about 1 hour, so they take on a red colour inside too.
5. Remove the pears. Reduce the liquid, without the spices and lemon peel, until syrupy.
6. Arrange two scoops of vanilla ice cream with two pear halves each, pour over the syrup and garnish with mint if you like.

Drink with it

• Fortified wine · excellent match

  Ruby Port or Late Bottled Vintage Port, lightly chilled

  The port's berry fruit and spice notes carry on the red wine poaching liquid, and its sweetness keeps pace with the vanilla ice cream.

  Port wine: understanding Ruby, Tawny, and Vintage ↗

• Sweet wine · good match

  Riesling Auslese or Spätlese

  Ripe pear and honey notes and lively acidity answer the pear and keep the ice cream light.

  Which wine goes with dessert? Comparing sweetness deliberately ↗

• Cognac and brandy · good match

  Cognac VSOP, neat

  Vanilla and spice notes from the barrel combine with the cinnamon, clove and ice cream.

  Cognac and Armagnac: Two Origins for Brandy ↗