Bring a little sweetness and magic into your life with our 4 Ways With… Quince, the aromatic ‘golden apple’.
4 Ways With… Quince
Roasted Quince and Spinach Salad with Bacon and Blue Cheese
Prereheat oven to 180°C. Peel 4 quinces, halve or quarter, remove inner cores and slice. Drizzle with plenty of lemon juice to reduce browning. Line a baking tray with baking paper and arrange slices on top. Drizzle with olive oil. Roast for 35 minutes or until tender, then let cool. Meanwhile, in a frying pan, cook 8 rashers chopped streaky bacon until crispy. Arrange quince on a serving platter with baby spinach leaves, chunks of creamy blue cheese and toasted walnuts. Scatter over bacon and drizzle with a mustard vinaigrette. Serve with crusty bread.
Quince and Rose Petal Jelly
Cut 2kg quinces into small chunks, with inner core and skin. Add 4 cups water for every 1 cup of fruit. Add 1 cup edible dried or fresh rose petals. Cook, without stirring, for 45 minutes or until tender. Drain through a fine sieve or jelly bag. Add 3¼ cups sugar to every 1 litre of juice, stir well and boil until it gels. Add 1 tbsp rosewater to cooled mixture. Seal in jars, adding a few extra clean rose petals to decorate. Serve with cream or custard, or use in a pie or crumble.
Stuffed Quince with Spiced Lamb Mince
Preheat oven to 180°C. Cut 4 quinces in half and scoop out inner core. Coat quince halves with lemon juice to reduce browning. Place flesh side up in a baking dish. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a frying pan over a high heat. Add 1 diced onion or 2 shallots, and cook until tender. Add 400g lamb mince and cook, stirring, until browned. Add 1/2 tsp each of cinnamon, cayenne pepper, paprika and dried thyme leaves. Stir in 2 tbsp tomato paste and cook for 5 minutes. Spoon mixture into cavity of quinces. Pour 1/2 cup water into dish and add 1 star-anise and 1 bay leaf. Cover dish with foil. Bake for 30 minutes or until tender all the way through when tested with a skewer, adding a little more water to the dish if needed. Garnish quince halves with toasted pine nuts, fresh wilted spinach and quince paste.
Quince and Tomato Jam
Cut a cross in the tops of 1kg red tomatoes, then blanch in boiling water for 20-30 seconds. Refresh in ice-cold water, then peel off skins. Using a sharp paring knife, remove cores. Set aside. Wash 1kg quinces and cut into quarters. Place in a large saucepan, cover with 900ml water, and simmer over a low-medium heat until a skewer easily pierces the skins. Using a slotted spoon, lift fruit out and remove inner cores. Return to water with tomatoes, 1kg sugar and juice of 2 lemons. Increase heat to high and boil rapidly for about 45 minutes or until mixture sets when tested on a cold saucer. Serve.
