What to do with quince, the mysterious fruit of winter

Is quince the most mysterious fruit of winter? The bulbous fruit is a curious specimen in the greengrocer, with a yellow exterior and tough, floury insides. But give it some slow and gentle cooking and something magical happens. To get the most out of quinces, slow-poach them with spices and spoon them atop panna cotta, or do as Jaclyn Koludrovic does and turn them into a fluffy quince and lemon pudding. The fruit is equally good when baked into tarts (the quince, rooibos and coriander seed tarts are a favourite), and you can't beat Peter Gilmore's recipe for quince, pecan and crème caramel trifle.

Don't limit yourself to the sweet options. Quince works well with roasted meat too – see Andrew McConnell's recipe for duck with spiced quince.