Membrillo and Manchego

Quince is a difficult fruit with surprises. It's not easy to eat fresh. And it's cooked taste doesn't resemble anything of the raw fruit. My grandmother used to make quince marmalade. I used to miss this when I lived the in the US and could not find a substitute for it. The only thing that came close to was membrillo, or also known as quince cheese, the spanish sweet accompaniment to sharp cheeses. Membrillo is just like quince marmalade but indeed like cheese as you can make it in blocks and slice it to create the perfect marriage between a slice of manchego (or Turkish aged kasar cheese if you can't find manchego) and this sweet, fruity jelly with citrus and vanilla hints. Here is the recipe I used for membrillo:

From foodplay

Peel, core and slice 5 large quinces. If you don't care so much about a transparent clean look you can leave them unpeeled.
Place them in a big pot together with some lemon peel (about 5 centimeters, or two inches long)
Bring to boil and simmer them for about 30 minutes in just enough water to cover the slices.
After thirty minutes the quince should be very soft, if not, boil for another 10 minutes.
Fish out the lemon peel and mash the quince, either through a seeve, with potato masher or an electric blender.
Measure how much the pure is in terms of volume and return the mash into the pot
Add an equal amount of sugar, probably around 600 gr for 5 large quinces
Add the juice of half a lemon
Add a teaspoon of vanilla powder
Cook on low heat for about 30 minutes, stirring frequently to dissolve the sugar and to keep the membrillo from burning. Becareful about the bubbles as the mash gets thicker. Once the color is turned into a dark orange or red and the consistency is right, turn off the heat and prepare for molding.
You can check the consistency by placing some mash on the back of a wooden spoon or spatula and running your finger through it. If the two sides stay separate and don't ooze back into each other then you are done.

Lightly grease a shallow baking pan, ideally with sharp corners. I used butter to grease mine. Pour the mixture into it and let it set. Once it cools, place in the refrigerator for a few hours for it to further set.

You can then slice your membrillo in square blocks and wrap them in wax paper or clear plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for up to 6 months.

From foodplay

Serve with your favorite sharp cheese. Must try it with manchego. I also like it with brie and camembert.