Peaches Poached In Red Wine With Pepper

• 1 cup port
• Peel of 1/2 lemon
• 1 vanilla bean
• 6 bay leaves
• 1/2 bottle red wine such as Cote du Rhone or pinot noir
• 2 to 3 tablespoons honey
• 6 ripe peaches

1. Place the peppercorns in a square of cheesecloth and tie securely with string.
2. In a large saucepan, combine the port, lemon peel, vanilla bean, bay leaves, wine, pepper sachet and bring to boil.
3. Stir in the honey and remove the saucepan from the heat.
4. Add more honey if necessary.
5. Cover the saucepan and set aside.
6. Half fill large saucepan with water and bring to boil.
7. Plunge peaches into boiling water and let them sit there for one to two minutes, then rinse them under cold water and peel them.
8. Place them in the warm wine over medium high heat and bring to simmer.
9. Simmer for 10 minutes.
10. Remove from heat, cover and cool.
11. Remove fruit from syrup and place it in shallow bowl.
12. Pick out bay leaves and stick them in fruit at stem where leaves would be.
13. Cut the vanilla bean into six segments and place one in each peach to make a stem.
14. Set aside in a cool place, outside the refrigerator, until ready to serve.

port, lemon, vanilla bean, bay leaves, red wine, honey, peaches

Taken from cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/10415 (may not work)