Recipe of the Month – Spiced Poached Quince with Vanilla Ice Cream
Hi, it’s Scott here with this month’s recipe. For the first time since planting my quince tree, it has rewarded me with a bumper crop. Naturally, the very first thing I wanted to make was spiced poached quince with vanilla ice cream, and I thought I’d share the recipe with you.
The rest of the harvest will be turned into quince cheese, and I’ll be sharing a recipe for that soon too.
Quince is a beautiful fruit, but you don’t often see it in the shops. I think that’s partly because it needs cooking before eating, but honestly — it’s worth every bit of effort. The fragrance and flavour are unlike anything else.
So, let’s head to the kitchen and get cooking.
Ingredients
- 4 large quinces, peeled, deseeded, and cut into quarters
- 1 litre water
- 230g caster sugar
- 2 lemons – 1 zested, both juiced
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 3 star anise
- Vanilla ice cream, to serve
Method
- Place the water, lemon juice, lemon zest, cinnamon stick, and star anise in a medium saucepan. Set over a low heat and stir continually until the sugar has dissolved.
- Add the quince quarters to the pan and cover with a cartouche — a disc of greaseproof paper the same diameter as the pan with a small hole in the middle to slow and control evaporation.
- Simmer gently for about 2 hours, or until the quince turns a deep red and is tender, and the syrup has reduced.
- Serve hot with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Final Thoughts
That’s all there is to it — a simple yet luxurious way to make the most of this wonderful fruit. I’ll be back next month with another recipe of the month, and very soon I’ll be sharing how to make quince cheese too.
Have you grown or cooked with quince before? I’d love to know what you think of this often-overlooked fruit.