If you can find quince, they will always need to be cooked because they never ripen to a point where you’d eat them raw. But poaching fruit is such an elegant and easy way to make dessert anyway, so give it a try. You can also make this with pears if you can’t find quince, just check them at the 15-minute mark because they will cook faster. Serve poached fruit cold or warm, plain or spooned over just about anything. I suggest when warm spooning some with their poaching liquid over small glasses of vanilla ice cream. You can’t go wrong!
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!
Makes 8 – 10 servings
Ingredients
- 4 to 6 quince, depending on size
- 1 bottle (750 milliliters) champagne
- 2 cups (480 grams) water
- 1 cup (198 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 medium orange
- 1 cinnamon stick
Instructions
Poach the Quince:
- Peel, core and slice the quince into 1-inch slices. Place them in an acidic water bath to prevent browning.
- In a medium saucepan, combine the champagne, water and sugar and bring to a boil.
- In the meantime, peal off the rind of the entire orange into 2 or 3-inch strips with a vegetable peeler and add to the pot along with cinnamon stick.
- When the mixture comes to a boil, add the quince, bring back to a boil and then reduce to a low simmer. Place a piece of round parchment paper with a 2-inch hole cut out of the center over the surface and allow to cook until the quince is tender, about 30 to 40 minutes.
- Remove the quince to a separate bowl, turn the heat to medium-high and continue to cook the syrup until it reduces by about half, another 20 minutes.
- Pour the syrup over the quince and cool slightly before serving warm. If serving cold, allow to cool to room temperature and then stash in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Leftovers can be stored for up to a week in the syrup. You can also reheat over a low flame.
