To Cook a Quince

Pot Roasted Quinces and a Quince and Apple Tart

To Cook a Quince…

The quince is not an easy fruit. Its hard form requires patience…a slow transformation from sharp astringency to a soft, giving richness. The alabaster white of its flesh turned to the deepest ruby pink only through long, gentle cooking. There are no shortcuts, no loop holes. The true beauty of a quince is revealed only through time.

I have found myself this year, in the season of the quince which arrives with the cooler weather at the same time as the apples and pears, cooking quinces more than than ever before. I don’t think it is an accident, the older I get the less I believe in accidents. The process is slow, but not intensive. Patience, more than anything, is required to take a quince from inedible to sublime. There is something in this quiet, slow transformation that is speaking to me this year. It feels private, hidden away in its little pot inside the oven, but there are signs of its being, the senses engaged. The smell of a quince as it cooks for hours is unmistakably unique, heady, intoxicating even, and takes over the entire house.

I’m not sure if it is the metaphor of transformation or something in the luxury of time, a kind of romantic longing for time to slow down, that is piquing my affection for the quince this year. Whatever it is, it tastes especially good.

Quince and Apple Tart (recipe below)

Pot Roasted Quince

This is my favourite way to cook quinces. I started out in the season adding aromatics to the pot as it was cooking- cinnamon, cardamom, star anise- but realized that I like the simplicity of nothing more than a squeeze of lemon, some zest and enough sugar. The flavor stands alone, it does not need distraction.

4 quinces

1 lemon

1-1.5 cups of sugar, plus more to taste

Any or a combination of the following, optional: 1 cinnamon stick; 6 cardamom pods; 10 whole peppercorns; 1 or 2 star anise; 1 bay leaf

• Wash the quinces well. You can peel them if you like, or leave the skin on. It depends on my mood as to whether I leave the skin on…I find when you cook them this long it doesn’t really matter texturally.

• Quarter the quinces. You don’t need to remove the core at this stage- the fruit is often so hard that it is very difficult to do so and the seeds have loads of lovely pectin that will help to thicken the syrup.

• Place the quinces in a non-reactive , heavy pot with a lid large enough to comfortably hold them, then pour over enough water to completely submerge. Add the sugar- start with a cup and add more if needed after tasting a few hours into cooking.

• Remove the zest from the lemon in strips, scraping away any white pith and add them to the pot and then squeeze over the lemon juice. Add any spices if using.

• Place in the oven at 350F/180C and cook for an hour before reducing the temperature to 330F/160c. Cook for a further 4 hours, checking from time to time to check if you need to add more water. Taste and add more sugar if needed. Cook until the quince is a deep pinky red- it may take up to 7 hours!- you may need to reduce the temperature of the oven and add water several times. Just keep half and eye on them throughout the day. When they are ready you should have a lovely deep red, slightly viscose syrup and the fruit should be deeply coloured and soft, though ideally not mushy. Cool and store in the fridge in the syrup for up to 2 weeks. Cut away the core before using- I like to do this before I store them to make using them even easier.

Ways to use pot roasted quince:

• Serve thin slices with cheese- I especially love it with a firm, salty cheese such as Manchego. Great with good crackers or bread.

• Add to salads with peppery or bitter leaves such as nasturtium, arugula or radicchio. Add some toasted pistachios, Marcona almonds or some cheese if you like and dress with sherry dressing.

• Serve alongside roast chicken or cured meat- good ham such as proscuitto or iberico is especially good- on a plate or in a sandwich with good bread, peppery greens and a little aioli or butter.

• For dessert, serve with pistachio cake and whipped cream, ice cream or Greek yoghurt

• For breakfast with Greek yoghurt and chopped pistachios or granola

• Make a quince and apple tart (recipe below)

Quince and Apple Tart