For as much as I may bemoan Fall as the harbinger of cold weather here in Chicagoland, there are a number of reasons I truly do look forward to it. As you have probably guessed (since you are reading a cooking blog) some of those reasons involve seasonal ingredients that aren’t available any other time of the year. The one we are focusing on today is actually a rather recent addition to my list of Autumn treasures: the quince.
Now, I’ve know about quinces for many years (at least since high school), and have spotted them regularly while they are in season. But it was only just last year that I finally got around to trying them. I knew they needed to be cooked (but not exactly HOW), so that factored in to my passing them by for so long. I’d seen them mentioned in old books over the years, but had never met anyone who had actually eaten one (outside of the odd sour quince log that they’d randomly grabbed from a box of mixed chocolates). I needed to do a little research to determine if they were worth my time. Once I did that research, I quickly realized that I had been missing out.
A relative of apples and pears, quinces are an Old World favorite (which here in America reads the same as “old fashioned”). While still very popular in parts of Europe, the Middle East, Northern Africa, and Asia, the quince has largely fallen out of the public eye here in the states. But for those of us who have rediscovered this Autumn gem, there is a wealth of possibilities. While the raw fruit is a bit too astringent for most people to enjoy eating out of hand, they lend themselves very well to roasting, braising, poaching, and baking in both sweet and savory dishes. I’ve used them in stews, roasted them with root vegetables and various meat, and added them to baked desserts.
My favorite so far also happens to be the way I first prepared them: poached and then baked in a galette. A galette, in case you are not familiar with them, is also known as a “rustic tart”. Think of it as a pie baked without a pie pan, where the crust is folded up over the sides to contain the filling. I enjoyed the first one I made last Fall so much that I brought one to my family’s Thanksgiving dinner, where it was a big hit. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to share it with Chele at the time. Now that quinces are back in season, I resolved to make a gluten-free version that she could enjoy.
And you know what? I actually ended up liking the gluten-free version BETTER than my original! I chose Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Baking Flour for this crust, and was quite impressed by the results. This crust bakes up into a hearty, crunchy golden treat that reminds me quite a bit of a graham cracker crust. Give this one a try, and I’m willing to bet it will become a new Fall favorite for you, too. And there’s even enough time to make one for Thanksgiving later this week!
Quince Galette (Gluten-Free)
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 1 ½ cups Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Baking Flour (or similar GF flour blend)
- 2 Tbs sugar
- 10 Tbs butter (dairy or plant-based) (cold)
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground sumac
- 3 Tbs water
For the poached quinces:
- 4 quinces
- 3 cups water
- ¼ cup sugar (may be increased up to ¾ cup if sweeter is preferred)
- 3 Tbs Gran Marnier
- ½ vanilla bean
Instructions
To Make the Crust:
- Add 1 cup of the flour to a large mixing bowl. Add the salt, cinnamon, sumac, and 2 Tbs sugar, and mix until just combined.
- Cut the butter into pieces. Add to bowl and blend together with a fork or pastry cutter until clumps form and no dry flour remains.
- Break up the clumps a bit, then mix in the remaining flour until it is completely incorporated. The dough should still be forming small clumps, but will be considerably dryer than at the end of the previous step.
- Using a spatula, fold in the water. Once no liquid remains, turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface (we recommend laying it out on parchment paper, to make it easier to transfer later). Shape the dough into a flattened disc, then roll it out with rolling pin to about a 14" diameter. (Don't worry about your disc being perfectly round. This is a "rustic tart" after all, so being a little uneven will add to the aesthetic).
- Chill the crust in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before baking (which is conveniently about how long it will take you to prepare the quinces).
To Make the Poached Quinces:
- Preheat oven to 300°F.
- Combine the water, sugar, and Gran Marnier in a large dutch oven or other large ovenable pan with a lid (covering with foil is acceptable). Scrape out the vanilla bean and stir into pan.
- Peel and core the quinces, then slice them lengthwise into ¼" slices. Add the quinces to the pan. Cover, and cook at 300° for 1½ hours.
- When done cooking, set aside and allow them to cool in the poaching liquid. Alow them to rest at least until they are cool enough to handle.
To Make the Galette:
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Lay the chilled crust on a large baking sheet (if you followed our advice and rolled it out on parchment paper, you can simply transfer the entire thing from the fridge to your baking sheet). Layer the quince slices on the crust (you can arrange them in a spiral pattern for an attractive presentation if you like, or go with whatever you prefer. Just make sure you end up with a nice even arrangement). Leave about 1½-2 inches of crust free around the edges. Reserve at least some of the poaching liquid.
- Fold the edges of the crust up over the fruit. You can go for a fancy, symmetrical pleat here if you like, but we prefer a more organic, uneven fold in keeping with the rustic aesthetic we are going for. (Don't worry if the crust cracks or splits as you fold it. You should be able to smooth those out by hand quite easily).
- Brush the crust with a little of the poaching liquid. Sprinkle with coarse sugar, if desired.
- Bake at 400°F for 45-50 minutes, or until crust turns golden. Remove from heat and allow to cool before serving.
Notes
- Quinces are strictly a Fall fruit, typically available from October through December (around the same time pomegranates and persimmons start showing up in large quantities). Most supermarkets with a decent produce selection seem to carry them when they are in season. They are also popular in some Asian cultures (particularly Korean), so try looking for them in Asian markets if you are striking out at your mainstream grocery stores.
- The gluten-free flour blend we recommend here is the only one we have tested in this recipe. You may need to adjust things a bit to get it to work with other brands.
- We HAVE, however, made this with traditional wheat flour, so we know how that works. If gluten isn’t a concern for you, swapping an equal amount of wheat flour will work just fine. To get a similar hearty texture, we suggest using a blend of all-purpose flour with something heavier like spelt or buckwheat.
- If you need to skip the Gran Marnier for any reason (or simply can’t justify buying a bottle just for this recipe), you can instead substitute an equal amount of orange juice or the juice of one lemon.
- We accidentally made the galette pictured here with less sugar than we planned, but ended up preferring it to our original recipe. We felt it showcased the flavors of the fruit without being overly sweet. If you would prefer a sweeter, syrupy filling, increase the sugar in the poaching mixture (up to 3/4 cup total).
