Peel the pears and slice in half lengthways. Core each half neatly with a teaspoon or small melon baller, and remove the hard bit at the bottom.

Peel and slice a 1/2 inch or so of the ginger root.

Place the wine, all but 1/4 cup of the sugar, star anise and ginger root in a deep covered pan, and add the pears. The wine should just cover the pears. Cover and poach gently for 40-60 mins until very tender almost translucent. Carefully remove pears and cool. If the liquid is thin, turn up the heat a little and reduce it quickly to a syrupy consistency. Strain the syrup to remove the lumps of ginger, and pour it over the pears.

Make a syrup over low heat with 1/4 cup of sugar and 1/4 cup of water, and add a couple of slices of ginger. Scrape the contents of the vanilla bean into the mascarpone, and add the shell of the vanilla bean to the syrup. Simmer the syrup for a few minutes, then leave to cool. Remove the ginger and the bean, and then beat 2 tbsp (or to taste) of the syrup into the mascarpone to sweeten and scent it.

The pairs can be served warm, room temperature or chilled, and may be kept in a sealed contained in their syrup in the refrigerator overnight.

To serve: Place a pear half (or two if small) in the center or a plate or bowl, spoon a little of the sauce over, place a dollop of the Mascarpone mixture on the side