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Quince: Cydonia oblonga

Most of the fruits we enjoy this time of year can be plucked right from the tree and enjoyed - crisp apples, late-season plums, the last of the berries. But amidst the orchards full of apples begging to be nibbled hides a shyer fruit, the quince. 

Quinces are relatives of apples and pears, but they have a wildly different personality. They are yellow and a bit fuzzy when ripe, but you definitely don’t want to attempt a nibble; their flesh is hard and very tannic, pretty much inedible. But give them a little heat and a little time and those shy fruits will blush into a beautiful rich orange-red and yield soft flesh and a fragrant perfume that is like nothing else! 

Some researchers believe that the “apples” in the “Song of Solomon” were actually quinces. How fitting to be included in a dialogue of lyrical poetry between young lovers about the beauty and temptation of sensuality and erotic desire. (Though some interpret these series of poems to be an allegory with different meanings of devotion.) 

From Song of Solomon 2: (from her to him) 

 As an apple tree among the trees of the forest,

so is my beloved among the young men.

With great delight I sat in his shadow,

and his fruit was sweet to my taste.

From Song of Solomon 4: (from him to her) 

1  Your lips drip nectar, my bride;

honey and milk are under your tongue;

the fragrance of your garments is like the fragrance of Lebanon.

These ancient scrolls are full allegory and symbolism, salacious imagery that becomes blush-inducing when you realize what it could be about. Perhaps the memory of those words are what makes the quince blush and soften today, giving up its hard and woody texture for a softened, rosy delight. 

You’ll have to do a little work to get there, though. Quince flesh is surprisingly hard when raw, making it difficult to peel, core, and chop, so use sharp knives and work carefully. Pair that hard fruit with some honey and serve the stewed quinces with vanilla whipped cream for a delight worthy of love poems and autumnal evenings with your own loved ones. 

I’ve added some additional accompaniments to further add to the storytelling of this beautiful dish. Small orange spheres of tangerine sit amongst the vanilla bean whipped cream. Though they are completely sweet, they bear an uncanny resemblance to salmon eggs, which symbolize abundance, fertility, renewal, and prosperity to many coastal tribes here in North America. While the briny savory flavor of real salmon eggs would taste bizarre at best with spiced quince, these look-alikes offer the same symbolism but with a bit of bright citrus instead. It’s easy to make these beautiful accompaniments at home; all you’ll need is some cold oil and an eyedropper. 

Finally, the last addition is an impossibly delicate coral tuile garnish, reminiscent of delicate lace or the blood vessels in warm hands caressing soft fruit. 

This is a dish for lovers. (But it makes four servings… extra dessert, anyone?) 

At first glance, it looks a bit complicated because I have separated each component out into its own recipe. Don’t fear, though! The tangerine spheres and coral tuile lace are both easy (and fun!) processes that can be made ahead of time. Just note that the oil needs to chill overnight for the spheres, so plan ahead. Then, the quince is cooked overnight in a slow cooker and the cream whips up in minutes. 

Slow-roasted Quince 

Quince already has a beautiful fragrance of its own, but it gets a little extra complexity from the addition of star anise and honey. I love that I can cut up the hard fruits and put them in the crock pot overnight. In the morning, they will have completely transformed to be rosy in fragrance and in color! You can also start cooking them in the morning to perfume the house with their lovely fragrance by dessert time. 

Ingredients: 

2 quinces

1 Tbs. lemon juice 

½ c. white wine

⅓  c. honey 

2 star anise 

Directions: 

1. Carefully peel the quince, then cut into wedges and remove the cores (like you would an apple.) The flesh is very hard, so use extra caution when handling it! As you finish cutting pieces, toss them in the crock pot with the lemon juice. 

2. Once both quinces are cut, add the rest of the ingredients to the crock pot along with them. Cover and turn to “low.” Cook for 6-8 hours, or until the quince is soft and fragrant. (Check every hour or so to make sure there’s enough liquid; add a bit of water if it looks like it’s starting to cook off.) 

3. Serve warm or chilled, garnished with whipped cream, tangerine spheres, and a crisp coral tuile cookie. 

Tangerine Spheres: 

These are one of my favorite ways to add a little extra intrigue to a dish. You’ll create a warm gelatin-based mixture, then drop it into a neutral vegetable oil that has been chilling overnight. As the warm drops hit the cold oil, they will solidify, leaving you with beautiful little spheres. Then, simply strain them out of the oil (which can be re-used) and rinse under cold water before serving. You can also store them in the fridge covered with a little oil for a few days. This recipe is a bright tangerine orange. 

Ingredients: 

4 c. canola or vegetable oil

Eyedropper or plastic squeeze bottle, clean

4 tsp. Gelatin 

3 Tbs. cold water 

4 fluid ounces tangerine juice 

1 tsp. sugar

Tiny bit of beetroot juice, if desired for a darker orange color

Salt and ice 

Directions: 

1. Place the oil in the fridge overnight so that it can fully chill. 

2. In a heat-safe glass measuring cup, mix together the gelatin and cold water until no lumps remain. Set aside to “bloom” for a few minutes. 

3. In another microwave safe measuring cup, heat the tangerine juice until it is hot but not boiling. Stir in the sugar. Pour it over the set gelatin and stir until the gelatin is completely melted. Transfer this mixture to a squeeze bottle. 

4. Prepare your oil: pour it into a deep bowl (chilled metal is great), then nest that in a slightly larger bowl filled with ice and sprinkled with salt, which helps keep the ice colder. 

5. Drop a couple drops of the gelatin mixture into the chilled oil. If they form spheres, your mixture is ready! If you get more flattened shapes, the gelatin mixture needs to cool a little longer. Each caviar pearl will take several drops of the gelatin mixture to get large enough to sink down through the chilled oil. This really is a playful process, so have fun with it! It’ll take a couple of tries to get a feel for how many drops are needed to make each ball, but once you have that dialed in, continue the process, spacing out where you drop the gelatin mixture so that two balls don’t stick together before they have had time to fully chill. 

6. If your gelatin mixture starts to firm up before you’ve used it all, you can re-heat it by placing the bottle in warm water or microwaving in short bursts (as long as the squeeze bottle is microwave safe.) Again, wait until it is cool enough to form nice round balls before you continue. 

7. When you’ve finished your caviar, strain the oil through a fine mesh strainer to extract the caviar. (Save the oil, it can be re-used!) Store the caviar with enough oil to cover it in an airtight container in the fridge until you are ready to serve. Then, just rinse the caviar with cold water. 

Coral Tuile: 

Watching these delicate wafers form is like magic! You’ll make a thin, water-based batter and then stir in oil. As the oil separates and water evaporates, a bubbling mess will become a delicate lacy wafer before your eyes!  The measurements are really important, so I recommend using a kitchen scale to weigh them out accurately. 

Ingredients: 

Small non-stick frying pan 

10 g. Flour

60 g orange juice 

Pinch salt 

Pinch beetroot powder (optional, for color)

60 g. Water

10 g oil 

Directions: 

1. Whisk together the orange juice, water, and flour with a pinch of salt until no lumps remain. 

2. Heat a small non-stick frying pan over medium heat. 

3. As soon as the frying pan has warmed up, stir the oil into the flour mixture. Just stir it a few times, then scoop out a Tbs. of the mixture into the pan. It will immediately start to sputter and bubble, so stand back! Cook until the water has evaporated and you don’t see any bubbles forming. Gently remove from the pan and drain on paper towels. 

4. Repeat to make more wafers, giving the batter a quick stir before each scoop. Use immediately or store in an airtight container with paper towels for a couple of days. Handle gently, these wafers are quite fragile! 

Vanilla Bean Whipped Cream: 

The secret to this luscious whipped cream lies in vanilla bean paste, which speckles the soft cream in a particularly lovely way. You can just use vanilla extract as well. 

Ingredients: 

½ c. whipped cream

1-2 tsp. Vanilla bean paste (depending on how strong it is)

1 Tbs. sugar, or to taste

Directions: 

1. Whip the cream in the bowl of a stand mixer or with a hand beater until foamy. Add the sugar and continue to whip until soft peaks form. Add the vanilla and whisk until incorporated. 

2. Your whipped cream is ready to use. You can pipe it on using a piping bag, or just use a spoon to add a little scoop to your dessert. 



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