The first time I had ever heard of or seen a fresh quince was when I moved to California. I remember its fragrance filled the restaurant that day and it smacked me right in the face as I walked in. Like a bee to fresh pollen, I found my nose taking me to the source of that heady, wonderful aroma. It smelled like the most fragrant apple or pear I could ever imagine, but also strangely a bit tropical, like fresh guava – a scent I was very familiar with growing up in a tropical region in Florida. I immediately wanted to cut into it to have a taste, but I’m so glad someone stopped me. Just like fresh guava, quince cannot be eaten raw. It’s very tannic, astringent and, surprisingly, not that sweet in its raw form, although it smells like the sweetest thing since apple pie.
Quince is found in subtropic and temperate regions all over the world growing from Australia, to China, to Italy to Africa and beyond. In Italy it is known as ‘cotogna’, in Spain it’s ‘membrillo’. Whatever you call it, it is one of the most chameleon-like fruits you will find. When peeled raw, its flesh is the beige colour of the inside of a red apple, but once you cook it, it turns a lovely peachy-pink hue. Cook it longer and it turns a deeply pink mauve sort of colour, and cook it even longer and it turns a deep crimson red. It’s a fantastic and beautiful transformation, that not only changes the colour but dissolves all of those tannins, leading the way to a sweet, tart, heavenly tasting fruit. It also contains so much pectin that, after hours of slow cooking, it turns itself into the most delicious jellied paste without needing any additions. I’m sure you’ve all had quince paste on a cheese board before, but next time, try a slice of that with a dollop of fresh sheep or cow’s milk ricotta. That, my friends, is simple cooking at its peak.
Alongside all of these magical quirks that make the quince a bit mysterious is the fact that it plays so well in both sweet and savoury spaces. When I was conceiving this week’s recipe, I simply couldn’t choose between a sweet and a savoury combination – so I’m giving you both. First is a simple quince cake, made just as you would make a carrot cake but swapping grated raw quince for the grated carrot. It’s served with a cream cheese frosting and topped with a ginger-spiked poached quince; you’ll soon be so grateful you bought those quinces at the farmers’ market. Don’t be surprised if your neighbours come knocking: your home will be filled with the most delicious and inviting aroma, just as I simply had to follow the quince aroma that day in the restaurant. A slice with a hot cuppa in the afternoon is the stuff of cozy autumnal dreams.
On the flip side, a radicchio salad with roasted quince, rosemary, walnut crunch and blue cheese is sure to impress everyone. Firstly, this salad is stunningly beautiful. Regular readers will know I rarely say that about food that I make but this salad made me giggle with delight as I assembled it. Sometimes, just sometimes, an idea in your head turns out even better in real life. The autumnal colours complement each other so beautifully and draw your eye in and… then the flavours! The quince is roasted in verjuice, vinegar and honey, so it’s both sweet and sour, while the other flavours of umami-rich blue cheese, earthy walnuts and a shallot-rich vinaigrette tie it all together. It is at once a flavour bomb and yet somehow subtle? Just like the very essence of the quince, extroverted in its outward aroma and appearance and then a bit coy, requiring a deft hand and a bit of heat to bring out all of its best characteristics. It’s no wonder that in ancient painting the quince symbolized fertility and marriage and was sacred to the goddess of love, Aphrodite.
I adore cooking in the autumn and winter months and I hope you do as well. As always, I would love your feedback, questions and comments on these recipes or anything in the newsletters and I hope that you share these recipes or the fruits of your labour with someone you love. Happy cooking, my friends!
Quince cake with cream cheese frosting
Radicchio salad with verjus roasted quince, rosemary, walnuts and blue cheese
Out now: Recipes for a Lifetime of Beautiful Cooking
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