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Seasonal recipes

Quince

Fruit and vegetables from the market, simple ideas and the wine to go with them.

Inedible raw, the quince comes into its own when cooked: its flesh turns pink and meltingly soft, and gives off an incomparable fragrance.

Choosing itBright yellow, fragrant, with no brown spots. The down comes off when rubbed with a tea towel.
Storing it2 to 3 weeks in a cool place, away from other fruit: its fragrance is pervasive.
Top tipKeep the pips and the skin: they are rich in pectin and help the jelly set.
Quince pasteConfectionery · Prep 30 min · Cook 1 hr · Serves 10 · Medium

The sweet treat of autumn, to enjoy with a ewe’s milk cheese or as a bite on its own.

Ingredients for 10

  • 1 kg quinces
  • About 800 g sugar (the same weight as the purée)
  • 1 lemon
  • Granulated sugar for coating

Method

  1. Rub the quinces, cut them into quarters without peeling and remove the cores.
  2. Boil them for 30 minutes, until very tender. Drain.
  3. Purée, weigh the purée and add the same weight of sugar and the lemon juice.
  4. Cook over a low heat, stirring constantly, for about 30 minutes, until the paste comes away from the sides.
  5. Spread 2 cm thick in a lined dish, leave to dry for 2 to 3 days, then cut into squares and roll in sugar.
Thermomix version
  1. Put 500 ml of water in the bowl and the quince quarters in the Varoma, cook 30 min/Varoma/speed 1. Empty the bowl.
  2. Add 600 g of cooked quince, blend 30 s/speed 8. Add 600 g of sugar and the lemon juice.
  3. Cook 35 min/Varoma/speed 2, without the measuring cup, with the simmering basket placed on the lid, until the paste has thickened noticeably.
  4. Spread out and leave to dry.

Tip: Protect your hands: the paste spits scalding splashes as it boils.

Food & wine pairing

With a ewe’s milk cheese, a Jurançon or a sweet white.

Quince jellyPreserve · Prep 20 min · Cook 1 hr 15 · Serves 10 · Medium

An amber, translucent jelly with a delicate fragrance.

Ingredients for 10

  • 1.5 kg quinces
  • 2 litres water
  • Sugar (750 g per litre of juice)
  • 1 lemon

Method

  1. Rub the quinces and cut them into pieces, skin and pips included.
  2. Boil them in the water for 45 minutes.
  3. Strain the juice through a cloth, without pressing, so that it stays clear.
  4. Weigh the juice, then add 750 g of sugar per litre and the lemon juice.
  5. Boil rapidly for 20 to 30 minutes, until a drop sets on a cold plate. Pour into jars.
Thermomix version
  1. Cook the quinces in a large saucepan (the bowl is too small for this step) and strain the juice.
  2. Put 600 ml of juice, 450 g of sugar and the lemon juice in the bowl.
  3. Cook 25 min/Varoma/speed 2, without the measuring cup, with the simmering basket placed on the lid. Check the set and pour into jars.

Food & wine pairing

No wine at breakfast! With cheese, a sweet white from the Loire.

Roast quinces with honey and vanillaDessert · Prep 15 min · Cook 1 hr 30 · Serves 4 · Easy

Long, slow oven cooking for meltingly soft, caramelised quinces.

Ingredients for 4

  • 2 quinces
  • 4 tbsp honey
  • 40 g butter
  • 1 vanilla pod
  • 20 cl apple juice
  • 1 cinnamon stick

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 160 °C.
  2. Rub the quinces, cut them into quarters and remove the cores.
  3. Arrange them in a dish with the honey, butter, split vanilla pod, cinnamon and apple juice.
  4. Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour, then uncover and bake for another 30 minutes, basting.
  5. Serve warm with Greek yoghurt or ice cream.
Thermomix version
  1. Put 500 ml of water in the bowl and the quince quarters in the Varoma, pre-cook 25 min/Varoma/speed 1.
  2. Put them in a dish with the honey, butter, vanilla and apple juice and roast for 40 minutes at 180 °C, basting.

Food & wine pairing

A sweet Loire wine, to echo the quince and honey.

Quince and almond tartDessert · Prep 30 min · Cook 40 min · Serves 8 · Medium

A fragrant tart of poached quinces laid on almond cream.

Ingredients for 8

  • 1 sweet shortcrust pastry
  • 3 quinces
  • 100 g sugar
  • 50 cl water
  • Almond cream: 80 g butter, 80 g sugar, 80 g ground almonds, 2 eggs

Method

  1. Peel the quinces, cut them into thin slices and poach them for 20 minutes in the water and sugar.
  2. Preheat the oven to 180 °C. Line the tin with pastry.
  3. Make the almond cream and spread it over the pastry.
  4. Arrange the drained quince slices in a rosette.
  5. Bake for 40 minutes. Glaze with a little reduced syrup.
Thermomix version
  1. Put the water and sugar in the bowl and the quince slices in the Varoma, cook 20 min/Varoma/speed 1. Keep the syrup.
  2. Empty and dry the bowl. Add the butter, sugar, ground almonds and eggs, mix 30 s/speed 4.
  3. Assemble the tart and bake for 40 minutes at 180 °C.

Food & wine pairing

A sweet Jurançon.

Vegetable tagine with quince and chickpeasMain · Prep 25 min · Cook 50 min · Serves 4 · Easy

A sweet-and-savoury vegetarian tagine, fragrant with ras el hanout.

Ingredients for 4

  • 2 quinces
  • 2 carrots
  • 1 courgette or 300 g squash
  • 1 onion
  • 400 g cooked chickpeas
  • 1 tbsp ras el hanout
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 30 g almonds
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 400 ml vegetable stock
  • Coriander, salt

Method

  1. Soften the sliced onion in the oil with the ras el hanout.
  2. Add the sliced carrots, the quartered quinces and the stock. Cook for 30 minutes.
  3. Add the diced squash, the chickpeas and the honey, cook for 20 minutes.
  4. Serve with the toasted almonds, the coriander and some couscous.
Thermomix version
  1. Add the onion, chop 5 s/speed 5, add the oil and ras el hanout, cook 3 min/120 °C/speed 1.
  2. Add the carrots, quinces and stock, cook 25 min/100 °C/reverse/gentle stir setting.
  3. Add the squash, chickpeas and honey, cook 15 min/100 °C/reverse/gentle stir setting.

Food & wine pairing

A red from the South with gentle spice, or an aromatic white.

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The wine to go with it

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