Poached pears in spiced red wine

1) Halve the vanilla pod length-ways and scrape out the seeds.
2) Put all of the ingredients into a saucepan over a medium heat, including the vanilla pods.
3) Bring to a boil then turn down to a simmer and cook for 20-30 minutes making sure the pears are submerged.
4) Check the pears are cooked all of the way through before removing from the pan.
5) Sieve the sauce to remove the vanilla pods and thyme leaves.
6) Bring the sauce back to the boil and reduce it by half until it thickens.
7) Allow the syrup to cool before pouring over the pears to serve.
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