Spiced Roast Quince with Honey and Clotted Cream

This is one of the best ways of cooking quinces – roasted in fragrant buttery syrup until beginning to caramelise round the edges.
Serves 4

quinces 3, about 250g each
sugar 100g, plus 1 tbsp
cinnamon sticks 2
mace blades 2 (or ¼ tsp freshly ground nutmeg)
water 600ml
butter 25g
salt a pinch
to serve:
clotted cream
clear honey

1) Quarter and core the quinces, reserving the cores and pips. Cut the quarters in half lengthways then remove and reserve the peel. Place the quinces cored side up in a single layer in a 2-litre baking dish. Preheat the oven to
180°C/gas 4.

2) Put the cores, pips and peel into a saucepan with the 100g of sugar, the cinnamon and mace. Pour in the water and bring to the boil. Simmer briskly
for 20 minutes until syrupy. Strain through a sieve and pour the liquid over
the quinces.

3) Dot with the butter, then sprinkle with the tablespoon of sugar and a pinch of salt. Place in the oven and bake for 1 hour or more or until the quinces are soft and blackened round the edges. Stir after 30 minutes to keep the quinces bathed in syrup. Stir again once they start to blacken.

4) Serve hot, warm or at room temperature with the juices and a dollop of clotted cream and a trickle of honey.

Recipe © Christine McFadden from The Farm Shop Cookbook published by
Absolute Press/Bloomsbury