Poached Quinces

These are wonderful with vanilla ice cream or crème anglaise. They also go really well with Bircher muesli. Cook the quinces at the barest of simmers; they seem to go a deeper colour if cooked slowly. It is also very important to cook the skin and core with the quinces, as they too affect the colour. We often just roast them in the oven on a very low heat for a couple of hours.