Submitted by John on Fri, 19/10/2007 - 20:35
Posted in
Quince Marmalade and Membrillo900g/ 2lb quinces, weight when peeled and cored
450ml/¾pint water
3¾tablespoons lemon juice per pint puree (60 mls)
sugar, 450g/ 1lb per pint puree.
Chop up peeled and cored quinces, simmer in water until very soft, sieve or mash until very smooth. Measure puree, adding sugar and lemon juice as above.
Stir over low heat until sugar has dissolved, then boil until very thick. Watch very, very carefully. When you can draw a wooden spoon through the mixture and see the bottom of the pan for a second or so you are there.
You could boil the puree down before you add the sugar.
The first recipe I followed instructed to put cut up, unpeeled uncored quinces in pan with water, and sieve the whole lot when the fruit was very soft, but it is fairly hard work.
My preferred method, which works for me is to peel and core the quinces, after thoroughly washing, boil the peelings and cores for a while, strain off the extract and cook the quince flesh in that liquid, then adding the sugar and lemon as before. Don’t use more water than you need, you only have to boil it all off at the end. Makes sense to double or triple the recipe, as you are going to be standing over the stove for a while.
This recipe should make a preserve that will turn out for slicing.
Each 1 lb sugar gives about 1½ lb preserve.
Language note
In Spain this is called ‘membrillo’. For those who don’t have such a sweet tooth, it is lovely with plain, unsweetened yoghurt. John Payne claims that a dail'y dose of membrillo and yoogourt is the best way to keep a healthy tummy when in Spain!
ROASTED BUTTERNUT WITH SHALLOTS, APPLES, OLIVES AND FETA
1 Butternut squash (about 550g net) – I used a particularly nutty squash I had from the garden.
5/6 shallots (I added some heads of garlic too)
2 dessert apples (Ashmead’s Kernel is what I used.. could be a russet… something with lots of flavour)
200g Feta
50g+ black olives
Fresh rosemary, oregano, thyme, bay leaves
Dried chilli flakes
Olive oil and butter
Heat roasting pan on the top, add quartered shallots and + olive oil and brown a bit.
Cut squash into 2cm chunks and add to the pan – coat with oil
Add the herbs – use common sense (not too much rosemary or it will dominate etc…)
Add chilli flakes if you want (I didn’t)
Salt
Mix and put in a 220 degree oven for about 30 mins.
Just before the squash is cooked, add chunks of apple with their peal on (but not core… FIRST having browned a little in a pan with butter)
Just before the end (ie when squash is cooked and apples soft but not a mush) add olives and feta.
We had it with mashed spud and a huge bowl of the best green salad I’ve ever managed in January….
Frome The Apple Source Book by Sue Clifford and Angela King