Peel the pears, leaving the stalks on. Cut off the bases so they are flat and the pears will stand up on their own.

Lay the pears down in your saucepan (they don’t need to stand up at this point), then add all the other ingredients. Heat until just short of boiling, then reduce the heat and leave to simmer for
30 minutes.

Remove from the heat and leave the pears to cool in the syrup for at least 1 hour so they absorb the flavours and turn a rich maroon, then remove them from the pan and set them aside. Now heat up the remaining liquid in the saucepan over a high heat and boil for 10–15 minutes, or until thickened to a golden syrup-like consistency.

When you are ready to serve, carefully place the pears standing up on individual flat plates or shallow bowls, or place them all on a large, flat serving dish if you prefer to bring a bit of theatre to the table, I usually do! Pour over the syrup, warming it up first, if you need to.

Charlie’s tip You can adjust your spices, to taste, adding a couple of star anise to the syrup for the winter pears, for instance.

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