Marsala Poached Pears

1. Stage

Make the spiced marsala syrup: In a saucepan just large enough to fit all of the pears, place the Marsala wine, sugar, lemon juice, star anise, cloves, and cinnamon. Bring to a boil.

2. Stage

Poach the pears in the syrup: Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium and place the pears in the pan, standing upright. Cover the pan and cook for 10 to 15 minutes (if you want, baste with the liquid a couple of times during the cooking), until the pears can easily be pierced with a fork. Very firm pears make need to cook for up to 20 minutes. Once poached, remove the pears to a serving dish.

3. Stage

Boil down the syrup until it becomes a glaze: Keeping the pan uncovered, let the Marsala syrup boil down for a few minutes until it is a thick syrup. (If it begins to caramelize, remove pan from the heat and add a little water to the pan to stop the cooking.)

4. Stage

Pour syrup over pears and serve