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1
Combine the wine, sugar, cinnamon, cloves, black peppercorns, lemon zest, and vanilla pod (if using) in a deep saucepan. Stir over low heat until the sugar has fully dissolved. The liquid should be uniform and clear of undissolved granules — taste confirms no residual grit.
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2
Peel the pears, leaving the stems intact. Stand them upright in the saucepan; if they lean, crumple foil around their bases to hold them vertical and fully submerged. For the overnight maceration variant, remove the pan from the heat, allow to cool, then refrigerate for 12 hours before proceeding. The pears should be fully covered by the wine mixture.
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3
This is where the dish lives or dies. Bring the liquid to a poaching temperature of 78–82 °C, monitored with a thermometer, and maintain it there — never allowing it to exceed 85 °C — for 35 to 45 minutes, adjusting for the size of the pears. If some pears are larger, add them 10 minutes before the smaller ones. The flesh must soften gradually without the cell walls rupturing: at the correct temperature, a skewer inserted at the base meets only a faint, even resistance, and the cut surface shows a deep, uniform burgundy-purple penetration throughout.
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4
Lift the pears carefully from the liquid and set them aside. Raise the heat and reduce the poaching liquid by two-thirds, until it reaches a glossy, syrupy consistency. Stir in the crème de cassis. The sauce is ready when it coats the back of a spoon in a dense, even film and holds a line drawn through it with a finger.
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5
Allow both pears and syrup to reach room temperature, or chill slightly. Stand each pear upright on an individual plate, nap generously with the reduced syrup, and serve with crème fraîche or vanilla ice cream alongside. The surface of each pear should hold a visible, glossy coat of syrup without pooling excessively on the plate.