Some of the most generous plants in our gardens are the ones we were lucky enough to inherit.
Here in New Zealand, quince is one of those fruits that can easily slip by unnoticed unless you’re lucky enough to have a tree, or know someone who does. You won’t often see quince in supermarkets, and only occasionally at farmers’ markets. It’s more likely to show up as a fruit cheese or membrillo, the Spanish preserve often found on platters or as part of tapas (and yes, ‘cheese’ has meant more than just dairy products for centuries). But if you’ve inherited a tree or know of one in an old garden, it’s worth celebrating. These quiet survivors from our grandparents’ time (early 20th century) still offer a way to bring variety and tradition back to the table.
I’d seen those beautiful French gâteau invisible, apple cakes made almost entirely of thinly sliced fruit, layered and gently baked and pressed. Quince felt like the perfect fruit to try it with – layered into a terrine with caramel, a pressed fruit dessert for autumn. No pastry. No custard. Just caramel, fruit, and cooking time.
This is my favourite way to let quince speak for itself, with all its floral, honeyed depth and quiet elegance. It’s a simple recipe that captures the kind of flavour that doesn’t need reinvention, just a little time and a sharp knife – or mandolin. If you’ve got quinces on hand, you’re already halfway there.
Quince Terrine with Caramel
Ingredients
- 6-7 quinces, approximately
For the Caramel:
- 100g sugar
- 50g plant based butter
or
- 150g watermelon molasses for a whole-food caramel alternative
Method
Preheat the oven to 160°C.
Peel the quince and remove hard core and pips. Thinly slice with a mandolin or sharp knife.
In heavy based skillet or pot, gently heat the sugar and plant-based butter, simmer until it turns a light caramel colour. Remember to swirl the caramel, do not stir or boil.
Pour the caramel or watermelon molasses into a loaf baking paper lined loaf tin, roughly 30cm x 15cm wide.
Build slightly overlapping layers of quince on the caramel or watermelon molasses, until you reach the rim of the tin, or run out of quince. Press the layers of quince into the caramel as you go. Cover with baking paper then wrap the loaf tin in recyclable foil.
Bake for 45-55 minutes, or until the quince terrine is soft and easily pierced with the tip of a knife.
Remove from the oven and press. To do this I use an another loaf tin of equal size, place and pressed down onto the foil wrapped, weigh the tin down with tin cans or baking beans. Leave it to cool then refrigerate. This can be done a few days before serving.
To Serve
Remove from the fridge at least an hour before serving to bring to room temperature.
Serve with a scoop of dairy-free chocolate or hokey pokey ice cream or plant based yoghurt. Add a nut-free hemp heart praline and some glazed seasonal berries for a restaurant worthy dish.
Do you have a favourite seasonal food that you’d love a recipe for, let me know in the comments. Follow along on Call.me.Ishbel and subscribe to receive new recipes directly to your inbox.
