Fried Quince Empanadas
c.1997, M.S. Milliken & S. Feniger, all rights reserved
Dough:
3 large ripe plantains, unpeeled
5 large ripe quince
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 cup light brown sugar
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
Zest and juice of 1 orange
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup dark rum
1/2 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon salt
Vegetable oil for deepfrying
Powdered sugar
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Cut a lengthwise slit in each plantain and set on a baking sheet. Bake until the flesh is thoroughly soft and oozing through the slit, 40-50 minutes. Set aside to cool.
Meanwhile, make the stuffing: Peel, core and finely chop 3 of the quinces. Peel and core the remaining 2 quinces and cut each into 8 wedges. Drop the wedges into a bowl of cold water to cover and squeeze in the lemon juice.
Melt the butter in a small saucepan over moderate heat. Add the brown sugar and cook, stirring, until the sugar has melted. Add the finely chopped quinces, ginger, orange zest, cloves and cinnamon and stir to combine. Add 1 cup of water and continue cooking until most of the liquid is gone, about 15 minutes. Add the orange juice and rum and cook until almost all of the liquid is gone, about 5 minutes. Drain the quince wedges and add to the pan. Reduce the heat, cover and cook until the wedges are just soft, about 8 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, stir in the walnuts and let cool. (The stuffing can be make a day in advance and refrigerated).
Make the dough in a food processor with a paddle attachment: Peel, trim and discard any tough ends from the plantains. Combine the plantains and salt and pulse until a smooth puree is formed, or mix until just blended. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate about 2 hours.
To assemble: Roll 2 tablespoons of the dough between your palms to form a ball. Line the bottom of a tortilla press with a small plastic bag and place the ball of dough in the center. Place another plastic bag over the dough and press to form a 3 1/2inch circle. Place a quince wedge on half of the dough circle and top it with a teaspoon of the sauce. Fold over to enclose the quince and press the edges to seal. Place the stuffed empanadas on a platter and chill at least 30 minutes.
Heat the vegetable oil to 375 degrees F. Gently drop the empanadas into the hot oil and fry until golden, about 6 minutes. With a slotted spoon, remove from the oil and drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve hot.
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Difficulty: Easy
Quince Mousse: Spuma di Mele Cotogne
Recipe copyright Mario Batali, 2002. All rights reserved.
2 pounds quince
14 ounces dark brown sugar
1 lemon, juiced
1/4 cup dark rum
2 cups heavy cream
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
Place the quince in a cast-iron casserole and roast in the oven until they are soft and collapsing and their skins are just bursting, about 30 to 40 minutes.
Once the quince are cool enough to handle, remove the skin and cores and press the flesh through a sieve, transferring it to a saucepan with the brown sugar and lemon juice and, over high heat, bring the ingredients to a boil, stirring with a wooden spoon. Lower the flame and cook the quince, still stirring, for 5 minutes, then remove from heat and allow to cool.
In a medium bowl, combine the rum and cream and beat to form stiff peaks. Lighten the cooled quince with a third of the beaten cream, then gently fold the quince into the remaining cream.
Turn the mousse out into 4-ounce ramekins, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and chill for several hours. Serve chilled.
Yield: 8 servings
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Difficulty: Medium
Daniela's Quince and Cranberry Compote
> Recipe available for a limited time only. Why?
Recipe courtesy Daniela Cole, Orient Express
2 cups apple juice or apple cider
1/2 cup sugar
1 cinnamon stick
1 pound quinces, peeled, cored, cut into 1 inch pieces
14 ounces fresh cranberries
In a heavy bottomed saucepan, combine juice, sugar, and cinnamon stick. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Add quince and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Add cranberries. Bring to a simmer and cook 20 more minutes. Discard cinnamon stick. Remove from heat and cool completely.
Yield: 3 1/2 cups
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Seared Breast of Moulard Duck on Quince Puree with Quince Sauce
Recipe courtesy Ariane Daguin
1 (2 pound) whole, boneless Moulard duck breast, excess fat removed, skin and fat scored diagonally into small squares, patted dry
2 tablespoons sugar, plus 1 1/2 tablespoons
1/2 cup red wine vinegar, plus 3 tablespoons
3 quinces, Granny Smith apples, or firm Bartlett pears, peeled, cored, and diced (reserve peelings)
1/2 cup vegetable or chicken stock
Salt
1/2 cup duck and veal demi-glace
Prepare quince puree and sauce at least 1 hour ahead of cooking time for duck.
Heat 2 tablespoons of the sugar in a heavy saucepan over medium heat until lightly caramelized. Stir in 1/2 cup of the vinegar and cook over high heat until reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Add diced quince, stock, and salt, and partially cover. Adjust heat to low and cook until fruit is tender, 25 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Puree in an electric blender or with a hand mixer until smooth. Return to the pan and keep warm.
Heat the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat until lightly caramelized. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons of vinegar and reduce by half. Add quince peelings and demi-glace. Infuse sauce over low heat for 30 minutes, strain, and keep warm.
Heat a heavy skillet until medium hot, over medium-high heat. Season both sides of the duck breasts with salt and pepper. Put duck breast in pan, skin side down, without any butter or fat. Cook for 8 minutes, checking to avoid burning. Remove fat as it accumulates. Flip breasts over, lower heat to medium, and cook 4 minutes longer. Remove duck from heat and keep warm in 1 of the skillets.
To serve, place a small amount of the puree in the center of each of 4 warmed plates. Cut duck breast in half, then cut across the grain into 1/4 inch slices. Shingle the duck slices over the puree. Spoon a small amount of infused quince sauce around the meat. Serve at once.
Yield: 2 servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Several other quince recipes are also available at
http://foodtv.net
just type in "quince" in the recipe search field
