verjus-poached quinces with fresh fig & honey-whipped ricotta
Celebrate Autumnal harvest with this delicious and delicate dessert from Almay Jordaan at Neighbourhood Wine.
- Author
- Almay Jordaan, Neighbourhood Wine
- Servings
- 4
Ingredients
- 1 large quince, peeled & halved
- 500ml Mount Zero Chardonnay Verjus
- 100ml good quality bush honey
- 2 fresh bay leaves
- 4 ripe, end of season figs
- 200g ricotta
- Reduced honey cooking liquid reserved from the poached quinces
- Pinch of ground cinnamon
- A few cracked pistachios, for garnish
Directions
- Combine the verjuice, honey & bay leaf in a saucepan just big enough to hold the quince halves laying flat (this is so that this small amount of poaching liquid actually covers the quince).
- Poach gently, under a circle of baking paper, for an hour – anything quicker than this will result in a pale, undercooked quince.
- When done, remove quince and set aside to cool. Continue reducing the cooking liquid by half to a syrup, then cool down as well.
- Meanwhile, remove the core of the quinces, and cut in large segments. Combine with ripe, squishy figs.
- Add a good splash of the cooking liquid and the cinnamon to the ricotta, whip until quite smooth and dollop over the fruit.
- Drizzle with more syrup if you like, and sprinkle over pistachios.