Poached Pears with Quince Paste in Parmesan Cloaks

Ingredients

• 10  firm-ripe bosc pears with stems (5 lb total)
• 750 ml cooking wine dry white
• 0.3 cup juice of lemon fresh
• 2 inch lemon zest fresh
• 10 servings parmesan cloaks 
• 2 lb accompaniment: 1 piece parmigiano-reggiano for shaving
• 1 lb portuguese quince paste spanish cut into 10 equal pieces (also called membrillo)
• 0.8 cup sugar 
• 1  vanilla pod 

Equipment

• bowl
• pot
• baking pan
• slotted spoon

Directions

1. Peel pears, leaving stems intact, then core from bottom with melon-ball cutter to create a 2 1/2-inch-deep cavity. Rub pears all over with lemon juice in a large bowl.
2. Bring wine, sugar, vanilla bean, and zest to a boil in a wide 6-quart heavy pot (at least 12 inches in diameter) over moderate heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved.
3. Add pears, arranging them on their sides in 1 layer, along with any lemon juice from bowl (pears will not be covered by liquid), then reduce heat to low and poach pears, covered, turning occasionally, until just tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Carefully transfer pears with a slotted spoon to a 13- by 9-inch baking dish, standing pears upright and reserving liquid in pot.
4. When pears are cool enough to handle, fill cavities with quince paste and stand pears upright in dish again.
5. Boil liquid in pot over high heat until syrupy and reduced to about 3/4 cup, 10 to 15 minutes.
6. Pour syrup over pears and cool, basting occasionally with syrup. Chill, covered, basting occasionally with syrup, until cold, at least 2 hours.
7. Drizzle each pear lightly with syrup and slip a parmesan cloak over stem.
8. Serve with cheese shavings on the side.
9. Pears can be chilled up to 2 days.