At Easter one of my mother’s friends arrived with a box of knobbly, fragrant quince he was kindly delivering around the neighbourhood. I was quick to nab a few to bring home. They filled the house with a wonderful aroma. Don’t try to eat quinces raw. It does take a little patience to cook them. But they are versatile — use them in jellies, pies, pickled and served with meat or roasted like other fruit. Here I have cooked them in a slightly sweet syrup then roasted tham and finished with a maple drizzle. Mascarpone or a good quality vanilla ice cream would be the perfect accompaniment to this dish.
Ingredients
| 4 | Quinces (Main) |
| 1 cup | Sugar |
| 1 | Cinnamon stick |
| ½ | Lemons, peel |
| ¼ cup | Raw sugar |
| ¼ cup | Maple syrup (Main) |
| ½ cup | Mascarpone |
| ¼ cup | Pistachio nuts, chopped (Main) |
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Directions
- Preheat an oven to 170C.
- Rub the quince clean, then peel with a sharp knife or potato peeler. Cut in half. Place sugar, cinnamon stick and lemon peel in a large pot and half fill with water. Bring to a simmer, add quince and cook for 15 minutes or until a skewer inserts easily.
- Remove quince from syrup, and place in a baking dish. Add half a cup of cooking juice. Sprinkle over the sugar and pour over the maple syrup.
- Roast the quince for 30 minutes, basting once during this time.
- Serve with a dollop of mascarpone and sprinkle of nuts.
