Baked Quince
- alestasturkey
- Jan 30, 2015
- 2 min read
When we first arrived in Turkey, we noticed some oddly-shaped yellow fruit for sale in the markets. I had no idea what they were. So we bought one, cut it into slices and had a taste. Gross. I was mystified that something so bland and stringy appeared to be so popular.
It wasn’t until later that I realised these wonky-looking fruit were actually quince. And if you don’t eat quince raw but pop it in the oven for a couple of hours, it is indeed heavenly. It may seem strange to bake the quince together with its peel and seeds, but never fear: there is method to the madness. The peel and seeds have a large amount of pectin in them, which will thicken the cooking juices to create a gorgeous, rich sauce. For those lucky enough to get a hold of quince, this dessert is an absolute must-try.
Baked Quince
Ayva Tatlısı
3 quinces (ayva)
2 cups boiling water
2 cups white sugar
3 cloves (tane karanfil)
1 cinnamon scroll (tarçın kabağı)
kaymak (buffalo milk cream), or clotted cream or ice cream, to serve
PRE HEAT THE OVEN TO 175C
1. Fill a large bowl with cold water. Using a small, sharp knife, cut the end off each quince, and cut off the skin. Cut the quince in half lengthways, and cut around the outline of the core with your knife. Then, using a teaspoon, scoop out the core.
2. Put the quince halves in water immediately to prevent browning. Set aside the peel and cores from 1 quince for later use. Discard the rest.
3. Place the boiling water and sugar in a small saucepan, and stir over medium heat until the sugar dissolves.
4. Grab a medium-sized casserole dish with a lid. Lay your reserved peel from 1 quince on the bottom. Using a knife, extract the seeds from the reserved quince core and toss these into the casserole dish. Add the cloves and cinnamon scroll.
5. Fish your quince halves out of the bowl of cold water, and lay them carefully in the casserole dish, cut side up. Pour the hot sugar-water over the top, put on the lid and bake for 2 ½ hours.
6. Remove the casserole dish from the oven, and allow to cool somewhat. The quince should be quite orange in colour, and the sauce quite thick. Carefully remove the cinnamon scroll, cloves, peel and seeds from the cooking juices.
7. Serve slightly warm or cold, with a little of the kaymak or icecream on the side. Garnish with pomegranate and/or nuts if desired.
MAKES: 6 baked quince halves
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