Saturday 22 June 2013

A Pear Like Dessert

A tart fruit closely related to apples and pears, quince makes a surprising dish when cooked in coconut milk and served with coconut curry sherbet. In this gourmet recipe by Chef Roger Souvereyns of the Scholteshof restaurant, quince is flavored with rosemary and seasoned with pepper and sugar. The coconut curry sherbet is made in the ice cream maker.

You can also make the sherbet using a mixer or hand blender and then freeze the mixture. Once the mixture hardens, mix it again to get a consistency like sherbet. Do this two or three times to get a fine and smooth consistency. Make the ice cream ahead of time so that it is ready once you finish cooking the quince. You need to peel the quince before cooking it. You can poach the fruit in water but you can also bake, roast, or stew the fruit to bring out its sugars.

Serve quince tartar and coconut curry sherbet for a refreshing, spicy and sweet dessert. This will cleanse the palate and makes an exotic and adventurous finish to a memorable lunch or dinner. The intense flavors used in this recipe invigorate the senses and create a one-of-a kind dining experience. Find other dishes to make you feel one-of-a kind at Gourmandia.ca.

Quince is similar to pears in shape but is hard and too tart to consume raw. When it is ripe, it has a wonderful fragrance and when it is cooked, the fruit mellows and tastes delicate. It is often used to make jam, pudding and jelly because its high pectin content makes it favorable for making these kinds of preparations. The high amount of tartaric acid also makes quince an excellent preservative. Quince jelly is thus often added to applesauce or apple pies in small quantities. The fruit turns from pink to red when heated due to the tannins, which make the fruit tart.

Ingredients
For tartar:
1/2 lb. quince
rosemary powder
Szechuan pepper
1 ½ tablespoons powdered sugar
1 gelatin leaf
3/4 oz. cream

For coconut sherbet:
1/4 lb. coconut puree
1/3 lb. water
5 tablespoons sugar
2 ½ teaspoons glucose
Curry

1. To make the tartar, soak the gelatin in cold water. Cook the quinces in water for about 15 to 20 minutes. Drain and puree. Add rosemary, pepper, and powdered sugar and mix well. Add gelatin and cool. Mix in the cream.

2. To make the coconut sherbet, add the coconut uree, water, sugar, glucose and curry in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Allow to cool then spin in an ice-cream machine until you obtain a temperature of 16 degrees. Keep in a freezer at 5 degrees F.

3. When ready to serve, place some quince tartar jelly scoops on a dish. Top with a scoop of coconut curry sherbet.

No comments:

Post a Comment