FEATURE RECIPE
Quince and hazelnut crumble

Quince and hazelnut crumble

Serves 6

Cooking Time Prep time 20 mins, cook 6 hours (see note)



Quince filling
350 gm   caster sugar
200 ml   dessert wine
200 ml   verjuice
Rind and juice   of 2 lemons and 1 orange
1   vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped
5   quinces
65 gm   brown sugar
Hazelnut crumble
100 gm   plain flour
65 gm   brown sugar
50 gm   ground hazelnuts
30 gm   roasted hazelnuts, coarsely chopped
75 gm   butter, coarsely chopped
1 tbsp   finely grated orange rind
To serve:   double cream


1 Preheat oven to 150C. Combine sugar, dessert wine, verjuice, rinds, half the juice, vanilla bean and seeds with 1 cup of water in a saucepan and stir over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves, then transfer to a small roasting pan. Peel and core four quinces (reserving skins and cores), cut into wedges and add to syrup, cover with baking paper and weigh down with reserved skins and cores. Cover with foil and bake for 4-5 hours or until quince is tender and dark pink. Remove skins, cores and baking paper and discard.
2 Using a slotted spoon, transfer quince to a bowl. Peel and core remaining quince, thinly slice using a mandolin and add to cooked quince. Add remaining juices and brown sugar and toss to coat. Divide among a lightly buttered 1 litre-capacity ovenproof dish and set aside. Reserve poaching liquid for another use (see note).
3 Increase oven temperature to 180C. For hazelnut crumble, combine flour, sugar, ground and chopped hazelnuts in a bowl, add butter and orange rind and, using fingertips, rub butter into dry ingredients until mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Scatter over quince mixture, piling up slightly in the centre. Place on an oven tray and bake for 45-50 minutes or until bubbling and crumble is golden. Serve with double cream or quince ice (see note).

Note Quince can be cooked up to 2 weeks ahead. For quince ice, combine poaching liquid with ½ cup each of water and buttermilk and freeze in an ice-cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions. Alternatively, freeze in a container for 6 hours, then use a fork to scrape into crystals.

RECIPE Emma Knowles PHOTOGRAPHY Con Poulos STYLING Emma Knowles


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