Pomegranate-Poached Quinces

There is something magical about these poached quinces, with their soft, scented terracotta-tinted flesh and glowing pomegranate-perfumed syrup. While I eagerly make them from November onwards, as soon as the quinces come into season, they are so fabulously festive cooked like this, decoratively and decorously demanding a place at your Christmas table.

Don’t get misled by the fact that they’re fruit: this may seem like a light dessert, but in fact it is headily intense. Three quince