Quince with maple syrup and pistachios

Babiche Martens

At Easter one of my mother’s friends arrived with a box of knobbly, fragrant quince he was kindly delivering around the neighbourhood. I was quick to nab a few to bring home. They filled the house with a wonderful aroma. Don’t try to eat quinces raw. It does take a little patience to cook them. But they are versatile — use them in jellies, pies, pickled and served with meat or roasted like other fruit. Here I have cooked them in a slightly sweet syrup then roasted tham and finished with a maple drizzle. Mascarpone or a good quality vanilla ice cream would be the perfect accompaniment to this dish.

Ingredients

4	Quinces (Main)
1 cup	Sugar
1	Cinnamon stick
½	Lemons, peel
¼ cup	Raw sugar
¼ cup	Maple syrup (Main)
½ cup	Mascarpone
¼ cup	Pistachio nuts, chopped (Main)

Directions

1. Preheat an oven to 170C.
2. Rub the quince clean, then peel with a sharp knife or potato peeler. Cut in half. Place sugar, cinnamon stick and lemon peel in a large pot and half fill with water. Bring to a simmer, add quince and cook for 15 minutes or until a skewer inserts easily.
3. Remove quince from syrup, and place in a baking dish. Add half a cup of cooking juice. Sprinkle over the sugar and pour over the maple syrup.
4. Roast the quince for 30 minutes, basting once during this time.
5. Serve with a dollop of mascarpone and sprinkle of nuts.

See more of Angela's fruity recipes

• Feijoa bakewell tart
• Guava jelly