POACHED PEARS WITH MULLED WINE SABAYON These pears make a nice change from a heavy Christmas pudding but still have the classic winter flavours with red wine, cinnamon and star anise. Try and use a fairly heavy red like a Shiraz that will complement the spices. You can poach them as long as a week before, keep them in the liquid and make the sabayon on the day. Ingredients: 4 pears ½ bottle of red wine 200g sugar 4 cloves ½ cinnamon stick ½ vanilla pod 2 star anise ¼ tsp black peppercorns 2 bay leaves Peel from 1 Clementine 2 egg yolks Vanilla ice cream
* Pour the red wine into a pan, add all the other ingredients. * Make sure to split the vanilla pod to release the flavour and bring to a gentle simmer. * Peel the pears, cut in half and remove the core with a teaspoon. * Put the pear halves into the red wine marinade and poach gently until they are tender. * Take 100ml of the liquid and put it in a metal or glass bowl over a pan of simmering water. * Add the egg yolks and whisk over the heat until the mix is fluffy and hot. The cooked yolks will hold the air but don’t overcook it or the mix will scramble. * Place the warm pear halves on a plate, spoon over some of the sabayon and garnish with vanilla ice cream. * I use a blow torch to gratinate the sabayon for some colour but it isn’t necessary if you don’t have one.