Instructions: Makes one 10 inch tart that serves 6 to 8

In a medium saucepan over low heat, combine the wine, sugar, cinnamon sticks, peppercorns and cloves. Shave long strips of zest from the orange with a swivel-bladed peeler and add them to the wine mixture. Slice the orange in half and squeeze in the juice. Quarter, core and peel the pears. Add the pears to the wine mixture and simmer over low heat for 20 to 30 minutes, until tender. Remove from the heat and let the pears cool in their poaching liquid. They can be stored in the refrigerator up to 2 days at this point. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Remove the pears from the liquid and set aside. Strain the poaching liquid, return it to the saucepan and reduce to about 1 cup.

Roll out the dough about 1/8 inch thick into an 11- to 12 inch circle. In a 10 inch ovenproof saute pan or cast-iron frying pan, arrange the pear pieces in concentric circles, core side facing up. Pour 1/2 cup of the reduced poaching liquid over the pears. Save the rest to serve as a sauce. Cover the pears with the circle of dough, tucking the overhang between the sides of the pan and the pears.

Bake about 40 minutes, until the dough is golden brown. Let cool for 10 minutes. Remove the tart from the pan by placing a rack over the pan and inverting it. Some of the hot juice may come off the tart, so it is best to invert it over a baking sheet to avoid making a sticky mess. Push the pears back into place if necessary, and let the tart cool another 15 minutes on the rack.

Serve with creme fraiche or vanilla ice cream and pass the leftover wine reduction as a sauce.

If you would like to email yourself the recipe for later use, or share the recipe with your friends or family, enter the email addresses below and this recipe will be emailed to you and others as well.