Our resident chef Pete Milosevic from the Stag Hotel joins Sarina from the Adelaide Hills Kitchen, a new innovation up at the Heart of the Hills Market in Lobethal. A purpose built SMEG kitchen is now the venue for regular Cooking Demonstrations which are proving to be extremely popular. Pete and Sarina cook up local pears in a spiced red wine syrup, just perfect for a winter dinner party dessert!

Hills Market Kitchen Demonstrations - 8389 5615
http://www.marketsatheart.com/market_kitchen.htm

Pete's Poached Pears Recipe

Ingredients
• Borbosc Pears
• 1 ½ cups of sugar
• 1 bottle of good Red Wine
• 3 Cinnamon sticks
• 4 Star Anise
• Vanilla bean - split down the middle
• Squeeze of lemon juice

Chocolate Sauce
2 cups of thickened cream
2 cups of chocolate
Place the cream in a sauce pan and heat. Once it starts to bubble gently, mix in chocolate and keep stirring until smooth.

Method
Heat red wine, sugar, spices, vanilla bean & lemon juice in a saucepan until sugar has completely dissolved. Add pears to mixture and place a greaseproof paper lid on top of pears and liquid to keep moisture in, then place lid on top of saucepan and simmer pears for 30 minutes until al dente (soft on outside but firmer in middle).
Remove pears from liquid and turn up heat to reduce the remaining syrup - reduce by 2/3rds. (This takes around 15 minutes).

Serve syrup on the plate as a base, place the pears and dress with chocolate sauce to taste.