Peel six pears leaving the stems attached. Remove the Calyx from the base of the pears. Cut a small slice from the base of the pear so that they will stand up when serving.
Pour a bottle of red wine into a saucepan and add the juice of ½ lemon, 125g sugar, a cinnamon stick, 4 cloves and a generaous pinch grated nutmeg. Heat gently, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
Place the pears in the wine. Cover and poach gently for 20-30 minutes until just tender, turning the fruit a few times during the cooking time.
Remove the pears and place in a serving dish. Then remove the whole spices from the poaching syrup and return the pan to the heat. Boil rapidly until the poaching liquid is reduced by half and slightly syrupy. Allow to cool.
Pour the syrup over the pears or spoon around the fruit when serving.
Notes
Nutrition information is approximate (does not include seasoning with salt and pepper) and is meant as a guideline only.Ideally you want the red wine to completely cover the pears in the pan. If it doesn't turn the pears a few time or spoon the syrup over the pears several times during cooking to ensure the whole pear can absorb some of the colour from the poaching liquid.