Quince Tatin with Manchego Ice Cream

The quince is a neglected fruit. Tough skinned, rough fleshed and inedible when raw it has never been grown commercially in this country. And yet there is something tempting about its shape, its scent and its awkward nature.

It is the ice queen of the fruit world: curvaceous. Perfumed. Attractive. Alluring and aloof.

However, when treated correctly the quince yields into compliance better than any other fruit, a balance of sweet and sharp that is perfectly tuned for both savoury and non-savoury preparations. More robust than an apple, more versatile than a pear and a great challenge for the adventurous minded cook.

Quince and Manchego cheese is a classic pairing for a reason. I remember the first time I tried the combination. A girl three years my senior at university returned from a year in Spain singing the praises of the nation’s cuisine and culture in equal measure. We shared a plate of membrillo and the oddly honeyed cheese over a glass of red wine and atrociously watchable Friday night television. Her attempts to introduce me to the work of Pedro Almodovar failed at that time.

It was a key moment in my fooducation and one that sticks as adroitly in the memory as my first cup of coffee or the picking of raspberries in the warm sun of late Swedish summer.

Whilst it was tempting to try and create a block of sweet quince paste I was more taken with the prospect of combining the flavours in a more unusual way. Having spent the previous week convincing diners of the merits of stilton ice cream to accompany a pear tatin, it seemed fitting to try a near identical fruit/cheese combo with the quince.

It worked like a dream. Tarte tatin – with its sticky caramel and rich buttery pastry – can quickly become cloyingly sweet. The natural acidity of quince brings it right back from the brink and Manchego lends itself surprisingly well to being turned into an ice cream. This may well tread closely to the realm of pastiche but doesn’t quite fall down the abyss of parody.

Quince Tatin with Manchego Ice Cream

Three quinces

250g caster sugar

500ml water

A cinnamon stick

2-3 star anise

4-5 cloves

150g caster sugar

50g unsalted butter

Ready rolled puff pastry

For the ice cream

4 egg yolks

100g caster sugar

250ml double cream

250ml milk

One vanilla pod

100g Manchego cheese, cut into small pieces

Start by poaching the quinces in a stock syrup made with the sugar (250g), water and spices. Peel and quarter the fruit and cook the pieces gently in the barely simmering liquid until they are tender. It should take no longer than twenty minutes. Remove the fruit and strain off the spices.

Return all but 25ml of the poaching liquid to a pan and reduce to make a syrup to spoon over porridge on the cold mornings to come.

Remove the tough inner core from the quince pieces and slice each quarter in half lengthways.

Melt 150g caster sugar in a saucepan and heat until it begins to caramelise and turn light brown. Whisk in the butter and the reserved poaching liquid to make a caramel then add the quince pieces to the pan. Let them cook for 3-4 minutes then arrange them in an oven proof frying pan. Spoon over almost all the caramel, holding some back for the ice cream. Cover the fruit with a circle of puff pastry and cook in a hot oven for 20-25 minutes.

To make the ice cream, heat the cream and milk in a pan with the vanilla pod. Allow it to just come to the boil then remove it from the heat and allow it to infuse.

Whisk the egg yolks and sugar together for about three minutes until the begin to turn pale. Pour the warm milk and cream through a sieve onto the egg yolks and sugar, whisk and pour into a clean pan. Cook over a gentle heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture begins to thicken. Add the cheese and remove from the heat. Make sure the Manchego has melted then allow the ice cream mix to cool.

Churn in an ice cream maker until almost frozen then pour in a little of the reserved caramel. Reheat the tatin and serve with a spoonful of ice cream.