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Dessert

Vanilla-Poached Quince with Black Sesame Tuile, Cardamom Cashew Cream and Rose-Pepper Syrup

110 minutes total · Intermediate · Serves 4

Vanilla-poached ruby quince wedges with cardamom cashew cream, curved black sesame tuile and rose-pink pepper syrup on an ivory plate

Slow-poached quince turns jewel-red and fragrant, paired with cool cardamom cashew cream, a crisp black sesame tuile and a restrained rose-pink pepper syrup.

35 minutes prep75 minutes cooking4 composed plates

01

Ingredients

  • Quince: 2 large quinces
  • Quince: 4 cups water
  • Quince: 1/2 cup cane sugar
  • Quince: 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • Quince: 1 wide strip lemon peel
  • Quince: 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise, or 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
  • Quince: 1/2 teaspoon pink peppercorns, lightly crushed
  • Cashew cream: 3/4 cup raw cashews, soaked in hot water for 30 minutes and drained
  • Cashew cream: 1/3 cup unsweetened oat milk
  • Cashew cream: 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
  • Cashew cream: 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
  • Cashew cream: 1/8 teaspoon fine salt
  • Black sesame tuile: 2 tablespoons black sesame seeds
  • Black sesame tuile: 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • Black sesame tuile: 1 tablespoon cane sugar
  • Black sesame tuile: 2 tablespoons aquafaba
  • Black sesame tuile: 1 tablespoon neutral oil
  • Black sesame tuile: 1 tablespoon water
  • Rose-pepper syrup: 1 cup reserved quince poaching liquid
  • Rose-pepper syrup: 1 teaspoon alcohol-free rose water
  • Garnish: 12 small mint leaves
  • Garnish: 1/4 teaspoon pink peppercorns, very lightly crushed

02

Prepare the dish

  1. Peel the quinces, cut each into 6 wedges and remove the cores. Keep the wedges in a bowl of cold water with a splash of the measured lemon juice while you prepare the poaching liquid.
  2. Combine 4 cups water, the sugar, remaining lemon juice, lemon peel, vanilla and 1/2 teaspoon crushed pink peppercorns in a wide saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
  3. Add the quince in a single layer. Cover the surface directly with a round of parchment paper, reduce the heat to low and poach at a bare simmer for 55 to 70 minutes, turning once, until the wedges are tender and ruby-rose. A knife should slide in with little resistance while the fruit still holds its shape.
  4. Lift the quince onto a tray and cool. Strain 1 cup of the poaching liquid into a small saucepan and simmer for 8 to 12 minutes, until reduced to about 1/3 cup and lightly syrupy. Remove from the heat, stir in the rose water and cool completely.
  5. For the cashew cream, blend the drained cashews, oat milk, maple syrup, cardamom and salt for 1 to 2 minutes, scraping as needed, until completely smooth. Chill for at least 20 minutes; add 1 teaspoon oat milk if it becomes too firm to spoon.
  6. Heat the oven to 175°C (350°F) and line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment. Whisk the black sesame seeds, flour, sugar, aquafaba, oil and water into a loose batter.
  7. Spread the tuile batter into four very thin curved strips, each about 12 cm long. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes, until dry at the centre and crisp at the edges. While warm, drape each strip over a rolling pin for a gentle curve, then cool completely.
  8. Bring the quince to cool room temperature 15 minutes before plating. If the fruit looks dry, brush it lightly with 1 tablespoon of the cooled rose-pepper syrup.

03

Plate with intention

The final arrangement is part of the recipe. Warm or chill the plates as directed and give every element a reason to be there.

  1. Choose four wide matte ivory coupe plates. Spoon 2 tablespoons of cardamom cashew cream just left of centre on each plate and pull it into a low 12 cm swoosh with the back of a spoon.
  2. Arrange three quince wedges in a slightly overlapping fan across the upper edge of the cream, keeping the cut faces visible and building only modest height.
  3. Spoon 2 teaspoons rose-pepper syrup in a narrow pool beside the fruit, then add five or six small droplets around the open side of the plate.
  4. Stand one curved black sesame tuile between two quince wedges so it rises cleanly without hiding the fruit.
  5. Finish with three small mint leaves and the lightest pinch of crushed pink peppercorn. Serve immediately so the tuile stays crisp and the cream remains cool.

Before service

Chef notes

  • Quince colour develops gradually. Keep the liquid at a bare simmer and use the parchment lid so the exposed surfaces do not dry out.
  • The cashew cream and poached quince can be made one day ahead, but bake the tuiles on the day of serving and keep them airtight at room temperature.
  • Add rose water cautiously after reducing the syrup. It should read as a soft floral note rather than perfume.

Estimated per serving

Nutrition at a glance

Calories
380
Fat
15g
Saturated fat
2.1g
Carbohydrates
59g
Fibre
5g
Sugars
35g
Protein
8g
Sodium
95mg

Quince and cashews contribute fibre, while the cashew cream provides most of the dish's unsaturated fat.

Estimates vary with ingredient brands, substitutions and serving size.

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