- 3 cups pinot noir or other robust red wine
- 1 cup cold water
- 1 cup sugar
- 12 whole black peppercorns
- 3 whole cloves
- 1 (2-inch) cinnamon stick
- 1 sprig fresh thyme
- 16 large firm ripe figs
- Creme Anglaise
- Prepare the syrup: In a nonreactive saucepan, combine all the ingredients except the figs and Crême Anglaise and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Cool.
- Reheat the mixture to a simmer, add the figs, and poach for 4 to 5 minutes until they begin to puff up. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the figs to a shallow baking pan and let cool.
- Place syrup back over high heat and simmer vigorously over high heat for about 30 minutes until reduced to 1 cup. Cool.
- Serve the figs with the syrup and accompanied by Crême Anglaise.