Honeyed Quince Compote
- ¾ cup water
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus additional to make acidulated water
- ⅔ cup honey
- ½ teaspoon 5-spice powder 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 star anise
- 2 ripe quinces, peeled, cored, and quartered (if preparing ahead, store in water acidulated with lemon juice)
Instructions:
The quinces take on a lovely rose color in this sweet syrup.
- Combine everything except the quinces in a small nonreactive saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and add the quince quarters. Poach until tender (a knife should slide through the fruit easily), about 30 minutes. The fruit will have a lovely pinkorange hue.
- Remove the quince pieces. Reduce the poaching liquid to a syrup, then return the quince pieces to the pan. Serve the quinces warm in their syrup.