Quince

This is a Moroccan version of a dish you find in many Middle Eastern countries. Serve with bread.

On a visit to Egypt, a hostess who invited me for dinner told us how she had run after the ducks that had escaped as she carried them home. There are many dishes of duck and chicken with quince in the Arab world. This one has the flavors of Morocco. The quince slices acquire a wonderful caramelized taste when they are fried.

Tunisia is famous for her fish dishes and her fish couscous. Here is one of the prestigious dishes which can be served with couscous. Prepare couscous as in the recipe on page 375 so that it is ready at the same time.

I love these roast quinces even more than the famous quinces in syrup that I have written about in other books, because here the fruits keep their natural and unique taste and perfume. Quinces can be small like an apple, and they can be huge and weigh up to 1 pound each. You need about 1/2 pound per person so a large one is enough for two. Cooking times vary depending on their size and degree of ripeness. Quinces are available in farmers’ markets and in Middle Eastern stores. Kaymak (see page 218) is the cream served with it in Turkey, but clotted cream or mascarpone will do very well.

This is truly exquisite. Quinces are now available for quite a long period in Middle Eastern and Asian stores. In this recipe, the fruits are stuffed with a meat filling and served hot. Quinces are hard and take a long time to cook in the oven before you can cut them up and stuff them, but you can do this in advance—even the day before. I used very large quinces because those were the ones available at the time, but you can use 4 smaller ones, in which case the baking time will be less. Serve hot with rice pilaf (page 193) or rice with chickpeas (Variation page 193).

This easy casserole offers maximum nourishment. Serve with microwaved or baked sweet potatoes (start the sweet potatoes in the oven about 45 minutes before starting to bake the casserole) and a salad of dark greens and ripe tomatoes.

Quince is an ancient Roman fruit that looks like a cross between a pear and an apple. It has an amazing aroma when poached.

This is a Web-exclusive recipe for Epicurious from Chef Robert Harrison of Mills Tavern in Providence, Rhode Island. It's a great dish to make any day of the year, and perfect for a Super Bowl gathering or any party. If you don't have time to make quince jam, or can't find quince, you can substitute any fruit chutney.

In Greek mythology, the quince, with its intoxicating perfume, was the golden apple that Paris gave to Aphrodite, "the fairest of them all." Edward Lear's Owl and Pussy-Cat dined "on mince, and slices of quince, which they ate with a runcible spoon." Coming up with a recipe to match the stuff of legend is not the easiest thing in the world, but this ultra-simple creation is delicate and alluringly aromatic. Worthy, in fact, of the goddess of beauty and, served as a compote with a little whipped cream or Greek-style yogurt, suitable for eating with a spoon, runcible or otherwise.

Indigenous to the Andes, quinoa was called the mother grain by the Incas, who considered the plant sacred. And while much has been made of quinoa's nutritional properties, its fluffy texture and nuttiness in this recipe are a revelation. Because it comes together quickly and is full of bright flavors, this salad is sure to become a summer staple. It's worth seeking out the fresh hearts of palm, which have a vibrant snap, but if you cannot find them, do not substitute canned; instead, use chayote (see cooks’ note, below).

In this chutney-like compote, quince lends a ripe-pear creaminess, and pearl onions a lush sweetness, to tart cranberries.

Baking flan slowly in a water bath gives it a silky, confection-like texture. Be sure to begin making this recipe one day ahead so it has time to chill overnight. For optimal flavor, remove the flan from the refrigerator at least 20 minutes before serving to allow it to come to room temperature.

Served with small scoops of ice cream and a pink-hued syrup, this fruit-filled dessert delivers a glorious finale to a special dinner. Strudel dough looks more difficult to make than it really is. The secret is using bread flour, a high-gluten flour, which allows you to stretch a small amount of dough over a large surface.

This recipe originally accompanied Lobster Curry. Quinces were once so prolific that they were preserved by salting, drying and packing in wickerwork containers. They were also candied and, as in this Cape Malay recipe, made into a sambal which is delicious with curry, as well as with smoked fish dishes. Unlike most sambals, which should be made shortly prior to serving, this may be made a day or two ahead.

Light and fluffy, these impressive desserts look, smell, and taste extraordinary — meringue gives them a cloudlike texture, while quince adds a delicious fragrance and beautiful pink hue. And they're very manageable for a small dinner party if you make your crêpes and prepare the quince ahead (see cooks' note, below). Bring them both to room temperature when you sit down to dinner; when it's time for dessert, you'll only need to beat your egg whites and assemble the soufflés for baking.

This fresh side is a delicious alternative to cranberry sauce.

This sauce, a mix of everyday and exotic, provides a sweet and tart contrast to rich meat or poultry.

The combination of meat and fruit is common in Middle Eastern cuisine. If you aren't familiar with quinces, you might mistake them for hard, yellow apples. They are too tart to eat raw, but become fragrantly delicious (and a lovely shade of pink) when cooked with sugar. Serve this dish with the bulgur with apricots and almonds.

More pastry chefs are using spices typically associated with savories in their sweets. Here, Chinese five-spice powder, a blend of warm spices and aromatic flavorings, adds allure to a fruit filling.

It's difficult to choose ripe quinces because their flesh, unlike that of other fruits, doesn't soften. You have to use your nose, sniffing out the heady floral fragrance that signals that the quince is ripe.