Poached Quince Recipes

POACHED QUINCE

Steps:

• Place sugar in a small saucepan and add just enough water so that mixture resembles wet sand. Place saucepan over medium-high heat and cook sugar until melted and light golden in color.
• Carefully add brandy and stir in verjus. Wrap star anise and cinnamon in cheesecloth and tie with kitchen twine to enclose; add cheesecloth packet to saucepan. Bring mixture to a boil; immediately reduce to a simmer. Remove cheesecloth packet and let poaching liquid simmer for 20 minutes.
• Place quince in a shallow saucepan. Set a strainer over saucepan and pour poaching liquid over quince. Transfer saucepan to medium heat and cook until liquid is heated through and quince is tender, about 1 minute. Remove from heat; let cool to room temperature.

HONEY-POACHED QUINCE PIE

Steps:

• Combine the sliced quince, honey, water, and a pinch of salt in a pan (you should have about nine cups of sliced fruit). Cover the pan and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat to very low. Simmer, covered, until the fruit is tender, about 8 minutes, stirring carefully once or twice to avoid breaking the fruit.
• Put a strainer over a saucepan and pour the cooked quince into a strainer, reserving the cooking liquid. Set the quince aside to cool.
• Roll out the pastry and line a 9 inch pie plate. Refrigerate the dough while you prepare the filling.
• Combine the white sugar, cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and flour in a small bowl and mix well. Add the sugar mixture and the butter to the reserved quince cooking liquid and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens, about 1 to 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the sauce to cool.
• Place a sheet pan on the lowest rack of the oven. Preheat an oven to 500 degrees F (260 degrees C). Pour the cooled quince into the pastry-lined pan and cover with the sauce. Add the top crust, crimping the edge to seal. Cut vents or prick the crust with a fork to allow steam to escape.
• Put the pie on the preheated sheet pan and immediately reduce the oven temperature to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Bake until the edges of the crust are golden brown, about 25 minutes. Reduce the heat to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) and bake until the juices are bubbling and the crust is brown, about 45 minutes more. Cool on a rack at least two hours before serving.

POACHED QUINCE WITH CRANBERRIES

Steps:

• Combine water, agave nectar, white sugar, and orange juice in a saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil.
• Meanwhile, wash and peel the quince fruits and cut out any dark spots. Add whole quinces to the boiling liquid and reduce heat. Simmer for 10 minutes. Turn quince over 180 degrees and simmer an additional 10 minutes. Add cranberries and simmer until quince are tender to a knife, 10 minutes.
• Serve quince cored or whole with the cranberries and syrup ladled over them. Top with orange zest.