Caramelized Quince Skillet Tart Recipes

Steps:

• Make the poaching liquid: In a large saucepan or small Dutch oven, combine the rosé, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon stick, star anise, salt, and cocktail bitters (if using). Use a vegetable peeler to remove wide strips of lemon zest (just the yellow layer, avoiding the white pith) and add to the pan. Cut the lemon in half and squeeze both halves into the pan, seeds and all (discard the lemon halves). Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat, stirring once or twice to dissolve the sugar, then remove from the heat.
• Prepare the quince: Working with one quince at a time, use a sharp knife to shave off the ends of the quince and then use a vegetable peeler to peel the fruit. Set aside the peels in a bowl and reserve for later. Halve the quince through the stems and use a melon baller or round teaspoon measure to scoop out the seeds and cores, adding them to the peels in the bowl. As you work, drop each peeled and scooped quince half into the poaching liquid.
• Poach the quince: Once all the quince are in the poaching liquid, add water to the pan if needed just to cover the fruit. Press a round of parchment paper onto the surface of the liquid, eliminating any air bubbles, then place a small plate on top-this will keep the quince fully submerged as they poach. Bring the mixture to a lively simmer over medium-high heat, reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer, and cook until the quince are tender but not mushy and a paring knife slides easily through the flesh, as little as 25 minutes for very ripe fruit but possibly as long as 1 hour. Check the quince every 10 minutes or so. Remove the pan from the heat and let the quince cool in the liquid until warm.
• Make the quince jelly: Use a slotted spoon to remove the quince from the poaching liquid and transfer to a cutting board to continue to cool. Dump the reserved skins, seeds, and cores into the poaching liquid and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is very thick and syrupy and the bubbles are slow to pop, 20 to 25 minutes. Strain the syrup through a fine-mesh sieve into a heatproof bowl. Press on the solids with a heatproof spatula to force as much liquid through the sieve as possible (discard the solids). You should have about ⅔ cup liquid. If you have much more than this, transfer the strained liquid to a small saucepan and simmer until it's reduced to the right amount. Due to all the natural pectin in the seeds and peel of the quince, this liquid will solidify into a soft jelly when chilled. Cover and refrigerate the jelly.
• Slice the quince: Cut the quince halves crosswise into thin slices between ¼ and ⅛ inch thick. If preparing the quince ahead of time, set them on a plate, cover, and refrigerate.
• Preheat the oven and prepare the skillet: Arrange an oven rack in the center position and preheat the oven to 400°F. Lightly brush the bottom and sides of a 10-inch ovenproof skillet with a thin coating of oil. Line the bottom with a round of parchment paper, smoothing to eliminate any air bubbles. Brush the parchment very lightly with more oil and set aside.
• Roll out the almond paste: Working on a separate piece of parchment paper, use the heel of your hand to flatten the almond paste into a round. Place another piece of parchment on top and use a rolling pin to roll the almond paste into a thin, even round measuring about 9 inches in diameter. Set aside.
• Roll out the pastry: Remove the pie dough from the refrigerator and let soften at room temperature for about 5 minutes. Unwrap the dough and place it on a lightly floured surface. Use a rolling pin to beat the dough all across the surface to make it more pliable. Dust over top and underneath the dough with more flour, then roll it out, dusting with more flour as needed, into an 11-inch round. Use a sharp knife or a wheel cutter to cut the pastry into an even 10-inch round, tracing a dinner plate or a cake pan as a guide. Slide the pastry onto a plate and refrigerate until it's time to assemble the tart.
• Assemble the tart: Spoon all but about 3 tablespoons of the chilled quince jelly into the bottom of the prepared skillet (reserve the remaining jelly for glazing the tart). Layer the quince slices over the jelly in the skillet, overlapping tightly into whatever pattern you like (rows, a rosette, or free-form!). Uncover the almond paste round and carefully place it in the skillet, centering over the quince. Remove the pastry from the refrigerator and slide it into the skillet, then use a spoon to tuck the edges of the pastry down between the quince and the sides of the skillet. Use a paring knife to make about 8 small slits across the pastry to allow steam to escape.
• Bake: Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and continue to bake until the pastry is golden brown and the jelly is bubbling up around the sides and starting to turn golden, another 25 to 35 minutes. Remove the skillet from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes.
• Turn out the tart and glaze: Working over the sink and using towels or mitts to protect your hands from hot flowing juices, place a rack over the skillet and invert. Give the rack a sharp tap on the counter to release the tart, then slowly remove the skillet. Peel away the parchment if stuck to the tart. Let cool for about 10 minutes, then while the tart is still warm, brush with the reserved jelly to glaze the fruit. Slide the cooled tart onto a platter and serve at room temperature.
• Do Ahead: The poached quince and quince jelly can be refrigerated up to 2 weeks. The tart covered and stored at room temperature, will keep up to 4 days but is best served on the first or second day (the crust will soften over time).
• Cooks' Note
• Any inexpensive rosé wine will do for this recipe, just as long as it's decent enough that you wouldn't mind drinking it on its own.
• Quince will stay hard as a rock even when ripe, so the best indicators of ripeness are their color and scent. Look for quince that are more yellow than green and give off a strong floral, tropical-fruity aroma. If they don't smell like anything, leave them on your counter-they're not ready yet!
• Be very careful when scooping the cores from the quince, as the raw flesh is very hard and slips happen easily.

Steps:

• In a large stockpot, combine 10 cups water and 1 cup sugar. Using a vegetable peeler, remove the zest from 1/2 lemon, and add to the pot. Halve the lemons, and juice 1 1/2 of them directly into the pot; set the other half aside.
• Peel, halve, and core the quince, and add to the pot. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce to a simmer, and cook until tender, but not completely cooked, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain, and set aside.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a 10-inch tarte Tatin pan or cast-iron skillet, combine remaining 3/4 cup sugar and the salt. Place over medium heat, and cook until it begins to thicken and turn a golden brown. Remove from heat, and stir in butter.
• Arrange the quince in the pan, cut sides up, in a slightly overlapping circular pattern. (Remember that since the tarte Tatin is inverted after it is cooked, the fruit on the bottom will be visible when served.) Place a few quince halves in the center, cut side up. Sprinkle with the juice of the remaining lemon half.
• On a lightly floured work surface, roll dough out into a 12-inch round, about 1/8 inch thick. Place dough over quince, tucking the edges of the dough around the fruit. Bake until juices are bubbling and crust is golden brown, about 45 minutes. Remove from oven, and let stand for 10 minutes. Using a paring knife, loosen the pastry from the edges of the pan. Place a serving platter over the pan, and carefully invert. Serve warm.

Steps:

• To make the dough, in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a bowl with a pastry blender), mix together the flour, the 2 teaspoons sugar, and the salt. Add the 4 tablespoons (2 ounces/60 g) chilled butter pieces and keep mixing until the butter pieces are about the size of corn kernels. Add the ice water and mix until the dough comes together. Gather the dough and shape it into a disk, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
• To prepare the fruit and assemble the tart, peel, quarter, and core the apples. Peel, quarter, and core the quinces, then cut them into 1/4-inch (6-mm) slices. Melt the 3 tablespoons (1 1/2 ounces/145 g) butter in a 10-inch (25-cm) cast iron skillet. Sprinkle the 3/4 cup (150 g) sugar over the bottom of the pan and remove from the heat.
• Pack the apples tightly in the pan, standing them on end, with the cored sides facing inward. It may seem like a lot of fruit, but they'll cook down considerably. Insert the quince slices between the apples.
• Place the skillet on the stovetop and cook over medium heat until the juices thicken and become lightly caramelized, about 25 minutes. While they're cooking, press down on the apples to ease them into the pan and promote caramelization.
• Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
• Lightly flour a work surface and roll out the dough into a 12-inch (30-cm) circle. Drape the dough over the apples in the skillet and tuck the edges down between the sides of the skillet and the apples.
• Bake the tart until the pastry has browned, about 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and invert a serving plate over the skillet. Wearing long oven mitts, grasp both the skillet and the plate and turn them over together, away from you, to unmold the tart. Be careful of any hot juices that may spill out!
• Although purists say tarte Tatin is best served on its own, others appreciate a spoonful of crème fraîche or Vanilla Ice Cream (page 143) on top or alongside.
• The dough can be made up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated, or frozen for up to 1 month. Tarte Tatin should be served warm the day it's made. You can make it an hour or so in advance and leave it on the serving plate, under the overturned skillet, to keep it warm after baking. It can also be rewarmed in a low oven.
• Poaching the quince before assembling the tart will turn them a lovely ruby-red color and bring out even more flavor: In a medium saucepan, bring 1/2 cup (100 g) sugar, 1 1/2 cups (375 ml) water, and a 2-inch (5-cm) piece of vanilla bean, split lengthwise, stirring to dissolve the sugar, then decrease the heat to maintain a simmer.
• Peel, core, and cut the quinces into eighths. Put the pieces in the saucepan, cover with a circle of parchment paper cut to fit inside the pan, and simmer gently, covered, until tender, 30 to 60 minutes. Once poached, the quince can be kept in the refrigerator in the poaching liquid for up to 1 week. When assembling the tart, tuck the poached quince pieces between the apples. The poaching liquid can be reduced in a skillet until thick and syrupy, cooled slightly, and used as a sauce, if desired.
• Use a full-flavored apple, one that won't turn to mush during cooking. Winesap, Granny Smith, Northern Spy, Pippin, and Jonagold work well.

Steps:

• Peel and halve pears, the core (preferably with a melon-ball cutter). Heat butter in a 9- to 10-inch well-seasoned cast-iron skillet over moderate heat until foam subsides, then stir in sugar (sugar will not be dissolved). Arrange pears, cut sides up, in skillet with wide parts at rim of skillet. Sprinkle pears with cinnamon and cook, undisturbed, until sugar turns a deep golden caramel. (This can take as little as 10 minutes or as much as 25, depending on pears, skillets, and stove.) Cool pears completely in skillet.
• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 425°F.
• Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface with a floured rolling pin into a 12-inch round and trim to a 9 1/2- to 10 1/2-inch round. Arrange pastry over caramelized pears, tucking edge around pears inside rim of skillet. Bake tart until pastry is golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes. Cook on rack 5 minutes.
• Invert a rimmed serving plate (slightly larger than skillet) over skillet and, using pot holders to hold skillet and plate tightly together, invert tart onto plate. Serve tart warm or at room temperature.