Pears Poached in White Wine with Spices

Peel the pears, cut them in half lengthwise, and remove the core with seeds.

In a deeper pan, over medium heat, combine the sugar with 80 ml of water. Stir and let it boil until it lightly caramelizes (turns golden). Pour all the wine at once over the golden caramel and stir until the hardened caramel dissolves again.

Add the cinnamon stick, star anise, and pears. Reduce the heat to minimum and poach the pears for 5–10 minutes, until slightly softened (the time depends on the pear variety and ripeness).