Honey-Poached Quinces with Skyr

📝 Ingredients

• 3 quinces (about 300 g each)
• ½ lemon (for the juice)
• 800 ml water
• 4 tbsp honey (about 80 g)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 450 g plain skyr 0%
• 30 g flaked almonds

🍴 Utensils

• Wide saucepan with lid
• Peeler
• Large, very sharp knife
• Slotted spoon
• Small frying pan
• Baking paper

📖 Steps

1. Rub the quinces with a dry tea towel to remove their fuzz, then rinse them. Pour the water, honey, juice of the ½ lemon, vanilla and cinnamon stick into the saucepan and stir without heating: quince flesh darkens quickly in the air, so it will go straight into this syrup.
2. Peel the quinces with a vegetable peeler, then quarter them with the large knife: the flesh is very hard, so set the fruit firmly flat and press on the back of the blade with your palm. Remove the core and pips, cut each quarter in half again and drop it straight into the syrup.
3. Bring the pan to a simmer over a medium heat, stirring gently to dissolve the honey. The pieces should be just covered: place a disc of baking paper with a hole in the centre directly on top of them to keep them submerged.
4. Cover and leave to poach over a low heat for 1 h to 1 h 30 min: the syrup should barely simmer, never boil, or the wedges will fall apart. The quinces are ready when the tip of a knife slides in without resistance and their flesh has turned pinkish to amber.
5. Lift out the wedges with the slotted spoon and set aside in a deep dish. Remove the cinnamon stick and reduce the syrup over a high heat for 10 to 15 min, until only about 200 ml remains and it lightly coats a spoon.
6. While the syrup reduces, dry-toast the flaked almonds in the small frying pan over a medium heat for 2 to 3 min, stirring constantly, until pale golden and fragrant. Tip them straight onto a plate: they burn in seconds.
7. Pour the reduced syrup over the quinces and leave to cool slightly for 10 min so they soak it up. Meanwhile, briefly whisk the skyr with a fork to make it smooth and creamy.
8. Divide the well-chilled skyr between 4 bowls (about 110 g each), add the warm quince wedges, spoon over the syrup and scatter with the toasted almonds. Serve immediately to enjoy the contrast between hot and cold.