About a year ago, my mother came to visit my husband and me in Philadelphia and brought us, as always, a delectable basket of goodies. Included amongst the spoils was a plastic container of quince membrillo, something I had seen in specialty shops but had never tasted it. My mother suggested pairing a sliver of the quince paste with a slice of Zamorano cheese (a raw sheep’s milk cheese produced in northwestern Spain), which she also had included in our package.
The combination was delicious. Since her visit I’ve been noticing quince paste everywhere: in more specialty shops, on menus as an accoutrement to cheese plates, and in cookbooks as a candy. Well, last week I was inspired to learn how to make it. I walked down to the Italian Market and visited my favorite produce shop, Anastasio’s. I ordered a case of quince, which are currently in season, picked it up the next day, and got to work. (You don’t have to buy a case–a case contains about 36 quince–but I wanted to make homemade quince jam with the remainder.)
I was more than pleased with the results for a few reasons. Most importantly, the homemade paste evoked a much stronger quince flavor than the packaged version. Secondly, the brilliant red color of the homemade paste is beautiful and much more appealing than the deep, dark maroon hue of the store-bought. And thirdly, I made enough quince paste to use as gifts for three different friends with more than enough remaining for my husband and me to enjoy at home. A gift of a nicely packaged piece of quince paste paired with a nicely wrapped piece of Zamorano or similar hard Spanish cheese such as Manchego or Roncal makes for a lovely and unique house-warming gift.
Description
Adapted from David Lebovitz’s Room for Dessert
- 6 medium quinces (about 2 lbs)
- 6 cups water
- 2 T. freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 3 cups sugar
- Wash quinces and remove any stickers, fuzz or leaves. Cut straight down around the core to remove the flesh, then cut into big chunks and discard the core. Place quince pieces in a medium-large saucepan and cover with the water and lemon juice. Gently simmer until the pieces are very tender, about 1½ hours.
- Drain the quince pieces. Pass through a food mill. Transfer purée to a large non-stick sauté pan. Add the 3 cups of sugar and cook over low heat, stirring frequently for about an hour. The mixture will have reduced slightly in size, will be thick and shiny and will be rosy in color.
- Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Spread the quince paste so that it is approximately ½ inch thick. Smooth with a spatula and try to form into an even rectangle—it most likely will not cover the whole surface area of the pan. Set aside to cool completely.
- When cool, turn out onto a large cutting board. Fill a large vase or cup with hot water and have a clean towel by your side. Cut parchment into squares approximately 2” x 6”. Cut quince paste into same size. Layer quince paste in between parchment paper and store in a Tupperware in the refrigerator.
- Slice into triangles or small squares when ready to serve. Will keep indefinitely in the refrigerator.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
Description
Adapted from David Lebovitz’s Room for Dessert
- 6 medium quinces (about 2 lbs)
- 6 cups water
- 2 T. freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 3 cups sugar
- Wash quinces and remove any stickers, fuzz or leaves. Cut straight down around the core to remove the flesh, then cut into big chunks and discard the core. Place quince pieces in a medium-large saucepan and cover with the water and lemon juice. Gently simmer until the pieces are very tender, about 1½ hours.
- Drain the quince pieces. Pass through a food mill. Transfer purée to a large non-stick sauté pan. Add the 3 cups of sugar and cook over low heat, stirring frequently for about an hour. The mixture will have reduced slightly in size, will be thick and shiny and will be rosy in color.
- Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Spread the quince paste so that it is approximately ½ inch thick. Smooth with a spatula and try to form into an even rectangle—it most likely will not cover the whole surface area of the pan. Set aside to cool completely.
- When cool, turn out onto a large cutting board. Fill a large vase or cup with hot water and have a clean towel by your side. Cut parchment into squares approximately 2” x 6”. Cut quince paste into same size. Layer quince paste in between parchment paper and store in a Tupperware in the refrigerator.
- Slice into triangles or small squares when ready to serve. Will keep indefinitely in the refrigerator.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
Find it online : https://alexandracooks.com/2006/11/20/quince-paste/
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If you’ve never tasted a persimmon, now is the time. You’ll find them in the markets from October to February, but they are most readily available and affordable in November and December. Look for the Fuyu persimmons or the Sharon fruit which have sweet tasting flesh even when they feel slightly firm and underripe. If you can only find Hachiya persimmons, wait until the flesh is very soft and ripe before eating, or it will taste extremely bitter. In fact, it most likely will be inedible. Today for lunch I made a delicious sandwich: a persimmon panini. I was inspired by my Bon Appetit magazine’s December issue which gives a recipe for a beautiful and delicious salad with Fuyu persimmons, prosciutto, pomegranate seeds, baby arugula and toasted pistachios. I made a variation of the salad not too long ago replacing the pistachios with candied pecans, omitting the pomegranate seeds and adding some nice shavings of Parmigiano Reggiano. I made a simple balsamic vinaigrette with honey, shallots and a tiny bit of garlic. The combination was delectable and it made for a nice accompaniment to an otherwise boring dinner. Now, on to the panini.
- 2 slices sandwich bread
- 2 heaping tsp. mascarpone cheese
- 1 Fuyu persimmon
- 3/4 oz Prosciutto di Parma
- 1 1/2 oz sliced fresh mozzarella
- a small handful of baby arugula
- 1/2 tsp . olive oil
- Preheat a panini machine.
- Spread one slice of bread with mascarpone cheese. Peel and slice persimmon into 1/4-inch thick pieces. Discard core. Top with half the slices of persimmon. (One persimmon will give you enough fruit for two sandwiches, so you can enjoy the remaining slices while you finish preparing your panini). Top with prosciutto. Top with sliced mozzarella. Top with baby arugula and remaining slice of bread.
- When machine is ready, brush olive oil on both the top and bottom sides of the cooking surface. Place sandwich on griddle, close top and let press until you see the mozzarella ooze out. Enjoy!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
