Recipe: Honey-Roasted Quince
The empress of the orchard. The preternaturally delicious pome. Quince season is upon us - let us feast upon the golden apple.
The zenith of October’s culinary prowess: the downy-skinned, mellifluous quince. Not a fruit for the impatient - raw, impenetrable and highly acidic - but deep pleasure is guaranteed for those who persevere and lean into its idiosyncratic toughness through slow cooking.
When soft, the quince’s hard, woolly flesh is made velvety and a fragrant sweetness replaces its raw bitterness with musk and tropical nectar accents. The colour change too can be magnificent; cooked long enough, a quince will take on a magnificent rosey hue.
But what to do with a cooked quince? The obvious, often Manchego-adjacent Spanish paste ‘membrillo’ is a recipe I have neither the time nor patience to indulge in. For me, the key is simplicity. Served on its own as here, basted in its honeyed juices, it is unbeatable, good as this is with some cream or custard too. A quince cake is another fabulous idea, perhaps served with a whipped cinnamon cream. On a savoury note, I can vouch for the allure of a baked quince half popped alongside a grilled gammon steak or pork chop.
INGREDIENTS
2 large quince, peeled, cored and quartered
60g golden caster sugar (@billingtonsuk)
1 cinnamon stick (@bartingredients)
1 lemon, peel pared
2 tbsp honey
METHOD
In a medium saucepan, create a syrup by heating the sugar with 500ml water and the aromatics over a moderate heat until it boils.
Gently drop in the quince pieces and simmer on a low heat for 30 minutes.
Transfer the quince to a snug baking dish. Pour over the syrup and the honey.
Wrap the dish tightly in foil. Roast in a 180C oven for 90 minutes.
FOODIE PHRASE DU JOUR:
‘‘They dined on mince, and slices of quince, Which they ate with a runcible spoon; And hand in hand, on the edge of the sand, They danced by the light of the moon.’’
- Edward Lear
Gorgeous! The scent is delicious