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1
Rinse the quince, and cut each into wedges through the stem and blossom ends.
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2
Peel the skin, or, if it is thin and unblemished, you may leave it on (which I do).
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3
Pare out the core and the seeds, then slice each wedge crosswise in pieces about 1/3 inch thick.
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4
Put the quince, sugar, wine, and water in a heavy-bottomed 3- or 4-quart saucepan; stir together.
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5
Slit the vanilla bean lengthwise to split it open; scrape the tiny seeds into the pot, and toss in the pod too.
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6
Bring the syrup to a boil, and cook, uncovered, at a steady simmer for an hour or longer, until the syrup has thickened visibly, with big bubbles popping all over the surface.
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7
Remove the pan from the heat and let it cool; pick out the vanilla pod.
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8
Pack the cotognata into a pint jar or smaller jars; seal with plastic wrap and jar lids.
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9
Keep refrigerated.
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10
Stir in a small pan to warm it for serving; thin with liqueur or wine for a looser consistency.
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11
With roast meats and poultry.
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12
With cheese (its especially delightful with gorgonzola).
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13
Put it on toast, or French toast or pancakes; stir it into yogurt; soften it with Grand Marnier and spoon it over vanilla ice cream for a gorgeous quince sundae.
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14
When I want to check a quince for ripeness, I hold it to my nose and inhale deeply.
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15
Theres no mistaking a perfectly ripe one: the scent transports me back to the home of Nonna Rosa (my mothers mother) in Busoler, where I spent much of my childhood.
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16
The heady, floral scent of quince was everywhere in late fall and winterin the kitchen, where the cut-up fruit slowly cooked into jam; in the dark pantry, where whole quince were set on wooden shelves, to dehydrate slowly over the winter months; andperhaps most intensely of allemanating from the drawers of folded linen, where Grandma tucked the quince to ripen and serve as a sachet.
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17
Anyone who has grown up with quince, one of my favorite fruits, probably has happy memories of it, like me.
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18
It is cultivated and cooked all around the world, though it is much less popular in America now than in past generations, when it was commonly made into jams and preserves.
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19
If you are not familiar with ityethere are a few basics: it is an autumn tree fruit, like apples and pears, but has a starchy, tannic flesh difficult to appreciate raw.
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20
Cooked, however, quince brings a rich and complex flavor to both sweet and savory dishes.
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21
It keeps its shape yet has a lovely soft and melting texture, and the flesh takes on a lovely pinkish color too.
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22
In addition to sauces, I use quince in tarts, meat stuffings, and braised dishes.
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23
Fortunately, the fruit is still readily available.
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24
I see it on occasion in the supermarket but more often find it at farmers markets and orchards in autumn.
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25
Buy firm, unblemished fruit (dont worry if theyre covered in fuzz: thats a sign of freshness); store them in a dark, well-ventilated place or brown paper bag, where they will mature and last for a month or two.
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26
Ripe quince will be lemony yellow all over, with a distinctive perfume you cant misseven if it doesnt take you back to your grandmothers house.
