Vanilla and Armagnac Soaked Pears

Vanilla and Armagnac Soaked Pears

1 lemon

3 large pears

6 tablespoons Armagnac or rum

1vanilla pod

4 tablespoons dark brown sugar

100 ml water

12 stoned prunes

Vanilla ice cream to serve

Squeeze the juice from the lemon and place in a large bowl. Peel the pears and slice very thinly lengthwise through the core. Add the slices to the lemon juice in the bowl and turn to coat.

Cut the vanilla in half lengthwise and scrape the seeds into a deep frying pan with the pod itself. Pour in the Armagnac or rum and sugar in and bring to a boil.

Slide in the pear slices, spoon over the liquid to coat all the pear slices, then cover and simmer gently for 5-6 minutes or until tender. Leave to cool.

Arrange a few slices of the pear on each of 6 dessert plates and serve with a ball of ice cream on each.

From archive of my Cheat's Dinner Party column Stella Magazine