Zinfandel Pears

Instructions

1. 1

   Peel pears. Core pears by cutting a cone-shaped wedge from the bottom of each. Leave stems intact. Discard seeds and cores. Wash and julienne a bunch of basil.

2. 2

   Place wine and sugar in a medium nonaluminum saucepan. Add julienned basil and bring mixture to a boil over medium-high heat.

3. 3

   Place pears upright in poaching liquid, reduce heat, and simmer until pears are tender and do not offer resistance when pierced with a sharp knife (about 20 minutes).

4. 4

   Remove fruit with a slotted spoon to a serving dish. Return syrup to a boil and reduce by half to about 1 cup (about 10 minutes).

5. 5

   Pour syrup over pears and cool for 3 hours in refrigerator.

6. 6

   To serve, place pears in stemmed glasses, spooning some of the cooking juices over each fruit. Garnish with basil leaves.