• 1 cup dried apricots
• 6 slightly underripe Bosc pears
• 1 lemon , halved
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 3 tablespoons candied ginger
• 1 cup good-quality port wine
• 2 1/2 tablespoons sugar

Preheat oven to 375°F. Place apricots in a small bowl and pour 1 cup boiling water over them. Peel pears and slice them in half lengthwise; core each with a melon-baller or spoon. Rub pears' surfaces with lemon halves to prevent browning.

Spread butter on the bottom of a 14" x 10" gratin pan or baking dish. Arrange pears, cut side up, in pan. Drain apricots; reserve the soaking liquid. Chop apricots and ginger together coarsely.

Transfer apricot mixture to a bowl; stir in port and sugar and reserved apricot liquid. Fill the hollows of each pear halfway with mixture. Pour any remaining topping all over pears.

Roast pears on the center oven rack, basting occasionally, until tender, 40 to 45 minutes. Arrange pears in a shallow bowl and drizzle with pan juices. Serve warm or at room temperature.