Читать книгу The Kitchen Diaries II - Nigel Slater - Страница 40

The quince once seemed so impenetrable. Mentions of membrillo and quince liqueur did nothing to invite entry to the rock-hard, yellow fruit that resembled a dumpy papaya. Ten years on, I take a deep casserole from the oven, the five fruits split, their soft, almost fluffy, pink flesh peeping through, and marvel at their beauty. There is orange in there too, vanilla in its sticky pod and a single cinnamon stick. The steam beguiles and amuses with its notes of amber, orange blossom and spice. The quince has come a long way in this kitchen. I guess we all have.

quinces: 4 large

oranges: 3

a cinnamon stick

a vanilla pod

For the mascarpone ginger crunch:

ginger biscuits: 75g

mascarpone: 200g

Set the oven at 200°C/Gas 6. Put the quinces in a deep casserole, piercing them here and there with a small knife or skewer as you go.

Halve and juice the oranges and pour into the casserole, add the cinnamon stick and vanilla pod and then cover with a lid. Bake for an hour or so, till the skins have wrinkled and the flesh is tender to the point of a knife.

For the ginger crunch, crush the biscuits, either in a plastic bag with a rolling pin or in a food processor, but not too finely. They should have a mixture of textures from gravel to coarse sand. Fold the biscuits into the mascarpone.

Remove the quinces from the juice, place on small plates and serve with the pan juices and the mascarpone ginger crunch.

Enough for 4