Chocolate Poached Pears

Begin by placing water into a substantial cooking vessel. Introduce the grated outer layer and juice of one citrus fruit, commonly referred to as a lemon, into the water. Next, add sliced pears to the vessel. Carefully split open a vanilla pod lengthwise and extract its seeds, then incorporate them into the water. Add the split pods to the liquid as well. Finally, pour sugar into the pot.

Heat the mixture over a moderate-high flame; gently stir to dissolve the sugar with minimal disturbance of the pears. Gradually decrease the heat so that the pears continue to cook over a steady, gentle simmer. Ensure the pears remain submerged in the liquid by placing a small plate over them to maintain their position. Continue cooking until the pears are just tender, taking approximately 20-25 minutes to achieve this. (Remove the plate for a moment to check on the pears' doneness.) Remove the pot from the heat source and allow the pears to cool down to room temperature within the poaching liquid.

Transfer the pears and vanilla beans to a storage container, covering them with some of the poaching liquid. Cover the container and refrigerate until the pears are thoroughly chilled, which may take several hours or overnight. Set aside all of the poaching liquid for future use (see footnote).

Heat a generous amount of hot fudge sauce in a cooking vessel over medium heat until it reaches a warm temperature. Dip the base of each pear into the chocolate, then spoon the chocolate along the sides except for the top inch or so of the pear.

Place each dipped pear into an individual serving bowl, accompanied by another generous spoonful of syrup and a small scoop of vanilla ice cream.