Dulce de Membrillo or a delicious quince paste to go with cheese

I know there are several beautiful Membrillo-posts out there (f.ex. written by Melissa, Elise, Nicky, Aran, Pastry Studio - to name just a few), but I used a somewhat different method to make this delicious Spanish quince paste, so it's worth sharing the recipe after all. We were served the Queso con Membrillo on several occasions during our trip to Spain in Spring 2008 (for example, here's a plate we enjoyed at Rincón del Chorro, Albarracin, Aragon), and I've made the quince paste twice at home since then. Quinces are only available at the markets here during early Winter, and not widely familiar to people at all.



By the way - if you've got small children at home, then try serving them some of the puréed quince before adding the sugar. Our daughter LOVED the unsweetened quince pureé!!

Quince Paste
(Küdooniamarmelaad 'Dulce de Membrillo')



6 large quinces (about 1,5 kg)
water
about 1 kg caster sugar
lemon juice

Wash the quinces and place into a large saucepan. Pour over enough water to cover the fruit. Bring to boil and simmer on low heat for about 1-1,5 hours, until the quinces are completely soft (test for softness by piercing with a small knife).
Remove the saucepan from the heat and let cool.
Remove the soft quinces from the cooking liquid. Cut into half, remove the core. NOTE: I did not peel the quinces. A lot of the pectin is in the peel (it's the pectin that helps the paste to thicken and jellify later), and as quinces are hard to grow commercially, it's unlikely that they've been sprayed with something horrible anyway. Feel free to peel the quinces if you prefer, of course.
Place the quinces into blender and pureé until smooth (add a spoonful or few of the cooking liquid to get you started, if needed).
Now weigh the cream-coloured fruit pulp and place into a clean saucepan. Add the same amount (re: weight) of sugar, and a squeeze or two of lemon juice. (I believe that the acid in lemon juice works with the sugar to jell the pectin in quinces).
Bring slowly to the boil and then simmer over moderate heat, stirring regularly, until the quince paste thickens, turns darker in colour and doesn't stick to the walls of the saucepan any longer (this can take about an hour).
Line a heat-resistant dish with parchment paper and pour the quince paste into the dish (mine was 25 x 35 cm). Smooth the top, and place into a dry and cool place to cool and jell completely.
Cut into thick slices and serve with Manchego cheese (or Nopri talojuust, if you're reading and making this in Estonia.).

Poulet aux quarante gousses d’áil or chicken with 40 cloves of garlic

Here's a dish that I made several times during last year - and hope to make again as soon as the fresh, new season's garlic appears on the market stalls in a couple of months. It's a dish that I had been intrigued by for ages - imagine, 40 whole garlic cloves to season just one chicken! - and when I finally made it, I fell instantly in love with it. When researching the dish, I came across several and very different versions. After making it several times, I've settled for this minimalist one. Just chicken, olive oil, lots of garlic and some salt'n'pepper. If you like your chicken with crispy skin and sticky, browned bits, then this version isn't perhaps for you, though you can always brown the chicken on a frying pan first and give it a short blast under the grill at the end.

The dish originates in Southern France, Provence, which is famed for its excellent olive oil and large, rosy-tinged garlic cloves. I love making this with young fresh garlic (see photo here), but it works with any garlic. Although the amount of garlic sounds somewhat over the top, then trust me and don't be tempted to choose some tiny garlic cloves. The bigger, the better here. Also, I'm sure the French would use a good extra virgin olive oil here, but if price is the issue, then any good olive oil works here.

Chicken with 40 cloves of garlic
(Kana 40 küüslauguküünega)
Serves 6



1 whole chicken, preferably free-range (about 1,5 kg)
salt and freshly ground black pepper
40 large garlic cloves (from 4-5 whole heads of garlic)
250 ml (1 cup) olive oil
fresh herbs of your choice (rosemary, sage, thyme, bay leaves)

First, prep your garlic cloves. When making this with fresh and young garlic cloves, then there's no need to peel them. During winter you should first blanch your garlic cloves in boiling water for 1 minute, then drain and remove the softened papery skins.
Using a kitchen paper, pat the chicken dry. Season generously with salt and pepper, both inside and out. Place the chicken, breast-side up, into a Dutch oven or heavy casserole dish where the chicken fits snugly (the better the fit, the less oil you need).
Push the garlic cloves and herbs around the chicken, pressing them down between the chicken and the dish.
Pour over the olive oil - check that all the garlic cloves are covered with oil.
Cover the saucepan and place into a preheated 180 C/360 F oven. Bake for 1 hour and 15-30 minutes, until the chicken is cooked.



To serve, carve the chicken into suitably large chunks. Serve with fresh green salad leaves and some wholemeal bread to mop up the delicious garlicky juices. Don't forget the softened and mellowed garlic cloves - these are the extra bonus of the dish. I love pressing them onto piece of bread.

* You can use the leftover garlicky olive oil to dress up a salad or serve as a seasoned frying oil during the next few days.

Happy New Year!

Our daughter Nora, born in January 2009, couple of weeks ago.

I wish all my readers a very happy new year. Hope that 2010 will be filled with exciting culinary discoveries, comforting old favourites and lots of delicious everyday meals.

Thank you so much for being here!

PS Those of you who are wondering about Nora's "woolly fleece" - it's from Hiiu Vill (see here).