Ingredients
1 quince
500 ml (17 fl oz/2 cups) red wine
200 ml (7 fl oz) Port (tawny)
1 clove
1 cinnamon stick
1 star anise
½ bay leaf
½ vanilla bean, seeds scraped
1 orange, peel, juice
50 ml (13/4 fl oz) red wine vinegar
100 g (3½ oz) caster (superfine) sugar
freeze-dried mandarin segments,
to serve
red-veined sorrel cress, to serve
EARL GREY ICE CREAM
250 ml (9 fl oz/1 cup) milk
250 ml (9 fl oz/1 cup) thin (pouring) cream
10 g (1/4 oz) Earl Grey tea leaves
8 egg yolks
100 g (3½ oz) caster (superfine) sugar
PAIN D’ÉPICES
3 eggs, separated
50 g (13/4 oz) caster (superfine) sugar
125 g (4½ oz) treacle or molasses
125 g (4½ oz) honey
125 ml (4 fl oz/½ cup) milk
1 lemon, juice
½ vanilla bean, seeds scraped
250 g (9 oz) rye flour
20 g (3/4 oz) baking powder
2 teaspoons mixed spice
1 teaspoon ground ginger
ORANGE GEL
500 ml (17 fl oz/2 cups) orange juice, freshly squeezed
5 g (1/8 oz) agar-agar
Method
Peel the quince and leave uncovered to dry overnight in the refrigerator. Cut into quarters and remove the core. Put the red wine, port, spices, bay leaf, vanilla bean, orange peel, vinegar and caster sugar in a saucepan and bring to a gentle boil, then remove from the heat and allow to cool. Add the quince, cover and marinate for 2 days in the refrigerator. Seal the mixture in a sous-vide bag and cook in a waterbath at 75°C (165°F) for 12–16 hours. Strain, reserving the quince and the liquid in separate containers.
Make the Earl Grey ice cream by putting the milk, cream and tea leaves in a saucepan and gently warming over low heat to allow the flavours to infuse. Remove, cover and place in the refrigerator overnight to steep. Strain into a clean saucepan and warm over low heat. Beat the egg yolks and sugar together until thick and creamy, then slowly add to the milk mixture in the saucepan, stirring constantly. Cook until it reaches the consistency of custard and coats the back of a spoon, stirring constantly so it doesn’t catch. Strain into a large bowl and place over an ice bath to chill. Churn in an ice-cream machine according to the manufacturer’s instructions and freeze overnight.
Preheat the oven to 160°C (315°F/Gas 2–3). Grease and line a loaf (bar) tin and set aside.
To make the pain d’épices, put the egg yolks and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until pale and thick. Add the remaining wet ingredients, stirring gently to incorporate. Slowly incorporate the dry ingredients until well combined. Pour into the
loaf tin and bake for 30–45 minutes or until it is golden and springs back lightly to the touch. Allow to cool completely before breaking into a crumb. Place in a dehydrator or oven at 80°C (175°F/Gas 1/4–1/2) for 6 hours or until hard.
To make the orange gel, combine the juice and agar-agar in a saucepan over low to medium heat and slowly bring to the boil. Pour the liquid into a tray and leave to set. When it has hardened, cut it into rough pieces. Put the pieces in a blender and blend until a purée forms, adding a tablespoon of orange juice to loosen if needed.
To serve, warm the quince quarters in the poaching liquid in a saucepan over low heat. Cut each quarter of quince into 3 pieces. Arrange pieces of quince on a serving plate and scatter generously with the pain d’épices crumb. Pipe dots of orange gel purée beside the quince pieces. Add 3 pieces of broken mandarin and a scoop of Earl Grey ice cream. Scatter with sprigs of sorrel cress. Serve with a small jug of the poaching liquid on the side.
This week’s recipe is brought to you by Scott Pickett and is taken from the newly released Bistronomy – French Food Unbound, by Katrina Meynink.
Published by Murdoch Books. RRP: $49.95
