Earlier this month the lovely Annabel Hartnett from Food by Annabel ordered some of our sun dried Smyrna quince and designed some perfect new quince recipes for us. Annabel has kindly permitted us to publish the recipes below. The Quince and Tomato Relish will be perfect for Christmas turkey or pork belly.
I felt pretty proud to see a snippet of our family story and Singing Magpie Produce in the Christmas edition of Country Style Magazine (Meet the Producer, pg 89). There are a stack of great looking recipes in there and so much to test with our produce. I’m definitely trying the fruit mince pie ice-cream with caramel sauce (page 90) with the addition of our quince, figs and Riverland melange. I think Annabel’s Singing Magpie Sun Dried Smyrna Quince and Strawberry Jam recipe below would also go perfectly with the Thyme shortbread cookies (page 81).
Smyrna Quince and Tomato Relish
300g sun dried Smyrna quince soaked in 300mls boiling water
1 tbspn olive oil
2 brown onions chopped finely
1 teaspoon sea salt
400g roma tomatoes peeled and chopped
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1-2 tspn dried chilli flakes
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
2/3 cup apple cider vinegar, you can use a little less (1/2 cup) for a softer flavour
Chop the quince and soak for 20 minutes. Meanwhile fry off onion in oil and salt until very soft and slightly golden. Add garlic, chilli, tomatoes and cinnamon stick. Simmer for 5 minutes on a low heat. Drain the quince, reserve the soaking liquid. Add quince to onion and tomato mixture along with sugar and apple cider vinegar.
Cook off for 40 minutes on a medium heat adding soaking liquid if the chutney is becoming too thick. When sticky and glossy pour into a clean dry jar and keep in fridge for up to one month. Perfect with pork belly, roast duck, Christmas Day lunch and left over turkey sandwiches.
ps I love Annabel’s tip for perfect pork belly … roast it skin side down for one hour at 180 degrees Celsius, then flip it over for another 30 minutes at 220 degrees Celsius.
Smyrna Quince and Strawberry Jam
900g strawberries
650g jam setting sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice
4 jam jars + lids, 250gm size, sterilised
Blitz the strawberries ( washed and tops removed) in a food processor to a rough pulp. Place in a large, tall saucepan with sugar, dried quince ( finely chopped) and lemon juice.
Bring to the boil to dissolve sugar then turn down to a gentle simmer for 45-50 minutes. Stir every five minutes as the quince will fall to the base of saucepan and can catch and burn.
To sterilise the jars place in a hot oven for ten minutes or boil for 5. To check if the jam has set pop a small plate in the freezer and towards the end of cooking time spoon a small amount of jam onto the chilled plate. Put back in freezer for a minute. Take out from freezer, if the jam crinkles as you push a finger through the blob the jam it is set.
Pour set jam into jars. Secure with lids and turn upside down for a few minutes to seal. Store in a dark place until needed.
Gingerbread Jam Drops filled with Smyrna Quince and Strawberry Jam
125g butter, room temperature
100g (1/2 cup, firmly packed) soft brown sugar
125ml (1/2 cup) golden syrup
1 egg, separated
375g (2 1/2 cups) plain flour
1-2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 tspn cinnamon
1 tspn cocoa
1 tspn bicarbonate of soda
1 jar Singing Magpie Sun Dried Smyrna Quince and strawberry jam, recipe above
Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Beat butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Add egg yolk and golden syrup. Beat to combine. Sift flour with spices and bicarbonate of soda. This step is important to remove lumps and evenly distribute the bicarb soda.
Add to butter mixture, beat on a low speed until combined. Turn out onto a large tray with baking paper and knead to form a smooth dough. Pop in fridge to rest for ten minutes.
Roll into balls the size of a small bouncy ball and place in mini muffin trays which have been lightly sprayed with oil. It will make about 72. This dough can also be used rolled out for gingerbread cut out cookies.
Bake for 8-10 minutes. Gingerbread cut out cookies about 6-7. As soon as you remove jam drops from oven create a hole in the middle of the cookie by pushing down the centre with a pen, chopstick or the end of a wooden spoon. This creates a spot for the jam to be piped into. Once cool pipe the jam into the cookies. Top with a piece of finely sliced quince and dust with icing sugar.
If also making gingerbread cut out cookies the leftover egg white can be mixed with 1 cup of icing sugar to make icing for decorations.
Recipes and photos courtesy of Annabel Hartnett, Food by Annabel If you are looking for a food stylist and recipe connoisseur then Annabel has my vote.
If you looking for more sun dried Smyrna Quince recipes click here.