Tea Poached Asian Pears - cooking recipe

Ingredients

2 cups sugar
2 cups dry white wine
1 1/2 inches piece fresh ginger, cut in half crosswise
2 cinnamon sticks
1 tablespoon allspice berry
2 tablespoons black tea leaves, loose
4 slices orange zest, about 4 inches long
4 large Asian pears, peeled and halved

Preparation

Preheat oven to 275 degrees F. In a large oven-safe saucepan, bring sugar and 3 cups water to a boil over medium heat; cook, stirring occasionally, until sugar is dissolved, about 5 minutes. Add wine, ginger, cinnamon, allspice, tea leaves, and orange zest; bring to a boil again. Add pears, remove from heat, and cover; transfer to oven.
Bake pears 1 1/2 hours, turning every half hour until tender but still crisp.
Remove from oven; let stand until cool enough to handle. Serve warm in cooking liquid.