Ever heard of quince? I’ve seen quince paste, but never the actual fruit until this fall at the farmer’s market @blackrockorchard. As soon as I saw it, I had to try it. Even though I had zero idea what I’d do, I was excited about the opportunity to explore (and faintly remembered some Ottolenghi recipes with them).
This recipe required a few trials to find the perfect method, but I knew this red wine and orange combo was going to be a star from the start, making me determined to figure out the perfect method to poach these quince. Poaching on the stove top allows you to have total control and to check periodically to make sure they are not over or under-cooked.
The great thing about this recipe is that it can be used on pears too- so no worries if you can’t get your hand on fresh quince!
Red Wine Poached Quince with Citrus Ricotta Ice Cream
Inspired by Ottolenghi
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1/2 cup water
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3/4 cup red wine
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1/4 cup honey
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1/2 cup orange juice
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1/4 teaspoon cardamom
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1 cinnamon stick
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2-3 small quinces or pears, peeled (I’ve only done with quince, but you could definitely do this with pears too- the cooking time is probably just a bit shorter)
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citrus ricotta ice cream (see below)
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toasted pistachios, for garnish
Combine all ingredients and put in a medium sauce pot. Bring to a soft boil (bubbling, but not vigorously) and then reduce heat to a simmer.
Add in whole quinces and simmer, partially covered, until tender, about 25 minutes (see note above- I’ve only done this with quince, which takes longer to cook. For pears, check after 15-20 minutes). During this time, occasionally move and adjust quince so all sides are eventually in contact with the wine mixture.
Citrus Ricotta “Ice Cream”
Adapted from Half Baked Harvest
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8 ounce part skim ricotta
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12 ounce plain full fat greek yogurt or skyr (I used 4% fat siggis)
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4 tablespoons honey
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1 teaspoon vanilla extract
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zest of 1 orange
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pinch of sea salt
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1 cup full fat coconut milk or full fat milk
Combine ricotta, skyr, honey, extract, and orange zest by whisking until thoroughly smooth (you can do this with a standing mixer, hand held mixer, or by hand).
Using a standing or hand held mixer, whip coconut milk until it forms soft peaks and looks like whip cream. Fold the coconut milk whip cream into the ricotta mixture gently until just mixed. Place in ice cream mixer or in freezer. I initially wanted to do this in my ice cream mixer, but it broke and so I just placed it in the freezer. While it took a bit of time to soften and defrost when I wanted to serve it, it worked fine!
P.S. I’m planning on seeing if I can play around with this recipe more to make it even simpler, so stayed tuned.