Matt Preston's poached nashi pears.

CHEF'S NOTE: I love Matt Preston.  I considered dressing up like him in faux-skin cowdy boots and a white suit whilst making this, but decided against it at the last minute.

I am going to serve this to Calf tonight with Cocoluscious Mango ice-cream and lemon zest.

Ingredients:

• 6 nashi pears
• 500ml light red wine (use a cheap pinot)
• 500ml water
• 1 cinnamon quill
• 1 orange
• 1 vanilla pod
• 1 cup caster sugar

Method:

1. 1Pick a saucepan that is wide enough to hold all six nashi pears cosily side by side.
2. 2Cut out a circle of baking paper a little smaller than the saucepan. Keep it handy. Pour red wine, water, cinnamon and sugar into a saucepan over a medium heat. Stir to dissolve the sugar. Using a vegetable peeler, cut two long strips of orange zest and add to wine mixture. Simmer for 10 minutes.
3. 3Split the vanilla pod, scraping the seeds into the wine mixture and add the split pod. Peel nashi pears, leaving on stalks. Place into liquid.
4. 4Top up poaching liquid with water so the pears just float. Cover with the baking paper. Poach for an hour or until the pears get soft and almost jellylike. Remove from heat and leave pears to infuse in the poaching liquid for 10 minutes.
5. 5Remove pears and reserve liquid. Remove zest and cinnamon quill. Return saucepan to heat and simmer for about 10 minutes to reduce to a syrup – will probably take about 10 minutes.
6. 6Serve pears at room temperature, drizzled with reduced syrup