Recipes › Quince › Slow-Poached Quince in Spiced Syrup
Slow-Poached Quince in Spiced Syrup
Whole quince halves poached slowly in a fragrant syrup of sugar, red wine, cinnamon, star anise, and vanilla until they turn a stunning deep rose-red and become tender enough to cut with a spoon. The resulting poached quince is elegant as a dessert served with thick cream or yogurt, alongside a cheese course, or as a festive condiment for roast pork or lamb. Most of the work is hands-off — the oven does everything.
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Ingredients
- large quince
- cup red wine
- cups water
- cups granulated sugar
- cinnamon sticks
- star anise
- pod vanilla bean
- cloves
- lemon
Contains: sulphites.
Method
- Preheat oven to 300°F.
- Combine red wine, water, sugar, cinnamon sticks, star anise, vanilla bean, cloves, and lemon peel in a medium ovenproof saucepan or Dutch oven. Add the reserved quince cores (they help intensify the color). Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves.
- Add the quince halves cut-side down, pressing to submerge as much as possible. Cover the surface directly with a round of parchment (a cartouche) and then cover the pot with a lid.
- Transfer to the oven and poach for 2 to 2.5 hours until the quince has turned deep rose-pink to ruby-red and is completely tender when pierced with a knife.
- Remove from oven. Discard cores and spices. Using a slotted spoon, transfer quince halves to a serving dish.
- If desired, return the syrup to the stovetop and simmer over medium heat for 10 minutes until slightly thickened. Spoon over the quince. Serve warm, at room temperature, or chilled.
Tips
- The longer the quince cook, the deeper and more vibrant their color will become — 2.5 hours gives a rich crimson result.
- The reserved cores and peel contain pectin that helps deepen the color; don't skip adding them.
Ring the changes
- Use white wine or apple cider instead of red wine for a pale golden result with a lighter flavor.
- Serve over vanilla ice cream or alongside a wedge of blue cheese for a dessert cheese course.
Keeping it
Store poached quince submerged in their syrup in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. The flavor deepens after 24 hours.
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