I was very excited as I walked through the farmers markets on Saturday to find a create of quinces. The ugly duckling of the fruit world, it may not be the best looking fruit, but when ripe has a powerful perfume. But if you were to bite into one you may be a bit shocked by its dry flesh and lack of flavour. As a great act of nature when cooked it is transformed into a soft fruit with a taste that surpasses that of poached apples or pear and a deep red colour.
When ripe a quince will be yellow & firm. They are prone to insect damage so look for entry points as they can be full of worm damage inside. I have been busy poaching them, roasting and serving with pork belly and making quince paste this week.
For poaching, make a sugar syrup with 1 lt of water, 1 kg of sugar, 1 lemon juice & zest vanilla bean spit. Peel & quarter the fruit, cut out the core. I find you get a much better deep red colour if you wrap the skins and core in a cloth and place in the syrup along with the quince. Cover the pot with a lid or pot and cook on a very low heat until soft.
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