Served with or without ice cream, this is a seriously addictive dessert.

SERVES 8 – 10 

The CARAMEL

4 tablespoons/58 grams light olive oil

¾ cups/175 grams granulated sugar

4 ounces (120 grams) soft cream cheese (see NOTE)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½  teaspoon salt (see NOTE)

THE FRUIT

1 small quince, halved, seeded and cut into 1 -inch chunks

5 medium apples, about 1 kilo, 2 green, the rest red—somewhat sweet—each seeded and cut into 1 ½ -inch pieces

½ cup crystalized ginger, minced

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 teaspoon cinnamon

The TOPPING

1 cup rolled oats

½ cup whole-wheat breadcrumbs

½ cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

¾ cup blond or brown sugar

Zest from 1 lemon

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup (120 grams) walnuts, coarsely chopped

½ cup light olive oil

½ cup orange juice

Vanilla Ice Cream, optional for serving

Heat the oven to 375F (180C)

Prepare the caramel: Add 2 tablespoons water and the oil to a 12-inch oven-safe skillet with high sides. Sprinkle the sugar in an even layer over the bottom of the pan. Turn the heat to medium-high. Cook the sugar without stirring until bubbles start to appear. Now swirl the pan very carefully to help the sugar brown evenly. Once the caramel is dark amber, after about 6 minutes or a bit more, remove from the heat.

Let the mixture cool for 1 minute and then add the cream cheese, stirring until fully combined (the mixture will bubble rapidly). Add the vanilla and the salt.

Prepare the fruit: In a large bowl, toss together the quince, apples and ginger, lemon juice, cornstarch, and cinnamon.

Make the topping: In a medium bowl, combine the oats, breadcrumbs, walnuts, brown sugar, lemon zest, and salt. Add the olive oil and orange juice and toss together until all the dry ingredients are evenly moistened.

Add the fruit to the caramel in the skillet and toss to combine. Sprinkle evenly with the topping.  

Bake until the caramel is bubbling in the center, the fruit is tender, and the topping is browned, 35 to 40 minutes.

Let cool slightly before serving.

NOTE:

Instead of the usual, imported, generic cream cheese, I like to make this crumble with our local cream cheese or fresh myzithra, which is much more flavorful, and somewhat salty, so I omit adding extra salt.   

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We were very grateful not only for the much-needed water, but for the comforting, cool  temperatures after a very hot summer.  We still have some vegetables, and hope for a few nice oranges, soon.

We started to get ripe, yet small fruit from the arbutus bush, and soon we will be harvesting the first oranges. 

The few, aromatic quinces we got are ripening in a basket, and are soon going to be used in meat and vegetarian dishes, also, of course in our cakes as well as in jams, and spoon sweets (fruit preserves).  

A low layer of green grass now covers the property, and our rose bushes are filled with tiny oblong red berries, and the big carob tree is filled with foul-smelling flowers buzzing with bees –an unexpected end-of-season treat for them. In Crete, where carob trees are ubiquitous in the rocky mountains, I heard that the densely-flavored carob honey is considered the best for melomakarona, the Christmas cookies.    

The disappointment and frustration with our pomegranate trees continues for one more year. The fruit rot and fall before they even ripen properly. Fortunately our two, potted dwarf, ornamental pomegranates are thriving!

Costas will prune the mulberry tree that provided its deep shade on our summer veranda, where we cook with our guests. He will then start pruning the olive trees, a major project we have to repeat every two years –not a single olive this fall..  

We planted a few micro greens in large shallow pots, and soon, we will probably harvest the very last eggplants, along with the a couple of tiny tomatoes we left on the plant just in case they ripen.

But we will still have plenty of peppers, both green and red, to make grill for meze and fry to make spreads. They often keep growing all through December…

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I, too, cook poultry for our friends and us, and instead of potatoes I roast pieces of quince, carrots and maybe some yams and/or mushrooms. A very satisfying baked polenta –from David Tanis’ brilliant recipe— will accompany the bird, and I will probably begin with a salad of roasted butternut squash with a tangy tahini-garlic-lemon sauce, and/or braised red and white cabbage with cranberries. 

Preparing and Roasting the Bird: I start at least two days before the feast. I get the bird well in advance, as in most cases it has to be ordered since I like to get local meats and avoid the frozen turkeys. I ask my butcher to spatchcock the turkey or rooster I plan to roast. The technique looks much easier than it actually is, especially if you deal with a big bird and you have not particularly strong hands, as is my case. I reserve the backbone to boil along with the neck and the gizzards, to make the stock that I will use for basting and for the vegetables in the pan. 

I rub the bird inside-out with plenty of sea salt and a fair amount of coarsely ground black pepper, along with dried oregano, cumin, allspice, and ground coriander seeds.  Don’t be stringy, use at least 1/2 cup of this spice mix, or of my aromatic Aegean Herb & Spice Mix. Place the bird cut-side up in a pan lined with kitchen towels, cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. The next day turn the bird upside down on the pan, usually adding more spices, and store in the refrigerator again until the day you plan to roast it. On that day you need to take it out of the fridge 3-4 hours before you put it in the oven to bring it to room temperature.

I heat the oven to around 400 F (200 C) two hours before I serve the bird –maybe a bit more, or less depending on the poultry’s size– and after brushing it well with a mixture of olive oil and fresh orange juice (2 parts olive oil-1 part juice). I place the bird on a rack which I position over the pan in which I have arranged my vegetables/fruit: quince pieces, thick carrot slices, mushrooms, whole or halved garlic cloves, and thick slices of onion if you like, after tossing them with olive oil, salt, pepper and some of the broth from the backbone, etc. I roast in the middle of the oven for about 45 min. to 1 hour, basting every now and then with the olive-oil-orange mixture, and then I arrange a few thin orange slices over the almost cooked poultry, and continue roasting for about 30 minutes more, or until done. If at some point it seems to dry out, I spritz with water a couple of times. When it is done, I cover loosely with aluminum foil and let rest for 5-10 minutes before transferring to a warm platter to bring to the table. I like to serve the vegetables in a separate warm platter or bowl. 

EXPERT ADVICE: In any event, after I described my crude way of roasting chicken and rooster, I think you are much better off watching how Jacques Pépin explains the correct method so beautifully!  And if you want something more amusing and unusual, check Bill Buford’s video in the New Yorker.

Baked Polenta: I use David Tanis’ brilliant recipe, leaving the grain to soak in the clay casserole with 4 cups water for about 20-30 minutes before covering and transferring to the oven –I don’t drain it. Then, after baking for 40-45 minutes, I stir in xinomyzithra –the wonderful, tangy fresh, ricotta-like cheese from Crete. But since this is not something one can get everywhere in the world, I suggest a combination of crumbled feta and ricotta and of course I add grated Parmesan, or a good, aged graviera. 

I cannot wait for the next day to enjoy any leftover polenta spread on a shallow dish, topped with leftover vegetables from the pan.  Slow-heat covered for about 45 minutes, then uncover and broil for a few minutes to caramelize the vegetables!

Roasted Butternut Squash with Garlic-lemon-mint Tahini Sauce: Peel and halve the squash, take out the seeds, and cut into bite-size pieces. In a bowl toss with olive oil, salt, pepper, cumin, ground coriander, and allspice, then spread in one layer on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Bake in the center of the oven for about 20 minutes, or until easily pierced with a knife. 

To make the sauce, mince 1-2 cloves of garlic and toss with 1 teaspoon sea salt and 1/4 cup lemon. Let marinate for at least 1 hour, better overnight in the refrigerator. When you are about to serve, whisk 1/2 cup tahini with the lemon-garlic mixture; taste and adjust the flavor and texture with more lemon juice, and water or white wine if it is too thick. 

Serve the roasted squash sprinkled with plenty of fresh, torn mint leaves, and the tahini sauce on the side. 

And to START, before we sit at the table: Besides our favorite thinly sliced Avgotaraho with my freshly baked bread,  I often whip-up a Kumquat and Smoked Cheese flat bread using part of the same dough; or I may bake one with slices of dried figs over Gorgonzola, Rockford, Stilton or any good blue cheese you like, sprinkling it with rosemary. Both we as well as our friends love these meze as we enjoy them with a glass of crisp, bubbly wine from the north of Greece, or with Tear of the Pine, the a unusual, slightly resinated, aromatic assyrtiko we love!

The post A Festive Winter Lunch appeared first on Aglaia's Table οn Kea Cyclades.

This wonderful cake has become our go-to early winter treat and I was making it all the time.  To the apples I often added a cup of last year’s quince preserves, before making the new batch. Now that we have plenty of quince from our trees, I adapted Darra’s basic recipe for these fragrant fruit.

It takes a bit more time, since the quince need to be poached or slow-baked to soften, but the result is worth the extra effort, as you can attest if you try it…

For a 9-inch round cake –or equivalent square, or 1 large or 2 small loaves 

3 medium or 2 large quince, washed, halved through the equator, then quartered to cut-off the pips (do not peel)

1 cup sweet wine, such as Mavrodaphne or Madeira

Olive oil for rubbing the pan

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

4 eggs

1 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon sea salt (or kosher salt)

1 tablespoon vanilla essence

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cup raisins

1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

Place the rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350F degrees (180 C).

Arrange the quince pieces in a pan, preferably a clay or glass one, that holds them snugly in one layer. Pour the wine over the quince pieces and add some water, as much as needed to come up to 2/3 of the quince pieces. Cover with parchment paper and then with aluminum foil and bake for about 45 minutes, or until the quince are easily pierced with a knife or fork. Transfer the quince to a colander placed over a bowl to collect the juices which you can add to flavor tea or any tisane. Transfer the quince pieces to a large bowl or platter and let cool while you prepare the batter. Do not turn off the oven.

Line with parchment paper the pan (or pans) that you will use, and lightly rub with olive oil, then sprinkle with cinnamon.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, or in a large bowl if using a handheld mixer, beat the eggs, sugar and salt on medium-high speed until thick and pale yellow, about 5 minutes. Beat in the vanilla extract.

Gradually add the flour into the egg mixture, and gently fold with a spatula until just combined and no flour streaks remain. The batter will be quite thick.

Chop the now cooled quince in somewhat thin slices and mix with the raisins.

Spread the walnuts, then half the quince in an even, compact layer at the bottom of the pan. Cover with half the batter and use an offset spatula to spread the batter evenly over the quince. Repeat with the remaining quince and batter. Gently tap the pan a few times against the counter to get rid of air bubbles, and transfer to the oven.

Bake for about 50 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out almost clean and the top of sharlotka is golden brown.

Let the cake cool in the pan for about 10-15 minutes, then gently run a knife around the perimeter to loosen and carefully invert the pan on a platter and let cool completely before cutting to serve.

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Serves 6

THE QUINCE

4           quinces, about 2 pounds

1          lemon, quartered

About 2/3 cup olive oil

1 ½    cups sweet red wine (Mavrodaphne or Marsala)

THE CHICKEN

6  whole chicken legs, separated, or a whole cut-up chicken –preferably free range

Salt and coarsely ground black pepper

1 teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon ground allspice

1            medium onion, coarsely chopped

About 2 cups Chicken Stock or more, as needed

A few sprigs of rosemary to decorate (optional)

2-3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (optional)

2-3      tablespoons brown sugar (optional)

Prepare the Quince: Fill a medium bowl with water and squeeze the juice from the lemon. Quarter and core each quince, then halve each quarter lengthwise. Drop the quince pieces into the bowl of lemon water as you work.

Tie the quince cores in a cheesecloth.

In a large, deep skillet, heat about 6 tablespoons oil. Pat the quince pieces dry with paper towels and sauté, in batches, stirring for about 5 minutes, or until they start to color. Add the sweet wine and enough water to half-cover the pieces abd simmer for another 10 minutes, until the quince start to soften.

Transfer to a large bowl along with their juices and set aside.

Prepare the chicken: Season the meat on both sides generously with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with allspice and cumin and rub well all over the chicken pieces.

In the deep skillet heat the rest of the olive oil over medium-high heat and sauté the chicken pieces on both sides until nicely browned. With a slotted spoon remove the chicken pieces to a platter and keep warm.

Add the onion to the skillet and briefly fry, then pour over most of the quince broth and scrape up any caramelized bits at the bottom of the pan.

Add the quince to the skillet, along with the cheesecloth and any remaining juices. Arrange the chicken pieces in between the quince, add the cinnamon stick, and the bay leaves, then pour enough chicken broth to almost cover meat and quince, and bring to a boil. Half-cover the skillet, turn the heat to medium and cook for 35 to 40 minutes, until the chicken and quince are very tender, adding more broth or water, as needed. Squeeze and discard the cheesecloth and transfer the chicken and quince in a clay pot or platter. If there is too much sauce cook on high heat to reduce, then pour over the chicken and quince, and serve decorating with rosemary sprigs or chopped parsley.

If you like, caramelize the quince: preheat the broiler, then transfer just the quince pieces to a baking tray, sprinkle with 2 to 3 teaspoons brown sugar and broil until caramelized, about 2 minutes. Return to the platter with the chicken and pour some sauce over the caramelized fruit before serving.

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On Chios, they pair quinces with free-range chicken; on Crete, with lamb; and on Lesbos, with veal. As with most stews I make on Kea, our local veal shank is my first choice; but I also make pork with quince. I give the meat extra flavor by tying the cores of the fruit in cheesecloth and adding them to the cooking broth.

The combination of meat with quinces is not new. In the Roman cookery of Apicius we find similar stews, and quinces have been quite common in old traditional Greek cooking.

Here, the firm, fragrant fruit, with its appealing tart flavor, is balanced with the sweet wine and the plums, or pearl onions.  This stew can be prepared almost entirely in advance and refrigerated. Then you need only simmer the meat in the sauce for a few minutes and caramelize the quinces just before serving. Accompany with potatoes, especially with David Tanis’ Olive oil and Garlic Mashed Potatoes, or with polenta.

Leftover sauce makes an unusual but excellent pasta sauce, or it can be a great topping for fava, instead of the caramelized onions.

Adapted from The Foods of the Greek Islands

Makes 4 servings

2            pounds beef or veal chuck, boneless veal or beef breast, shank, or top round                    roast

1            large onion, quartered

2/3        cup olive oil

3–4       teaspoons sugar

Juice of  1  lemon

4           quinces

1/2         cup sweet red wine, such as Mavrodaphne or sweet Marsala

1/2         cup dry red wine

9           pitted prunes,  or 2 cups pearl onions (see variation)

1            teaspoon Aleppo pepper or pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

1            cinnamon stick

3           bay leaves

1         teaspoon coarsely crushed allspice berries

About 1 1/2 cups beef stock or Chicken Stock

Salt

1–2        tablespoons red wine vinegar (optional)

Freshly ground black pepper

2            tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

In a large pot, combine the veal, onion, 1/4 cup of the oil, 1 teaspoon of the sugar and enough water to come two-thirds up the sides of the roast. Bring to a boil and skim off the foam that rises to the top.

Cover and simmer for 45 minutes, turning the meat once. Remove from the heat and let cool, then refrigerate overnight.

Fill a medium bowl with water and add the lemon juice. Quarter and core each quince, then halve each quarter lengthwise. Drop the quince pieces into the bowl of lemon water as you work.

If you like, tie the quince cores in a cheesecloth and add to the pot where you stew the meat.

In a large skillet, heat the remaining 6 tablespoons oil. Pat the quince pieces dry with paper towels and sauté, in batches, stirring, for 4 minutes, or until they start to color. Transfer to a medium bowl and set aside.

Discard any remaining oil and add the sweet wine to the skillet, scraping up any caramelized bits in the bottom of the pan. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Remove the veal from the pot and cut it into four 1/2-inch-thick slices. Bring the cooking liquid to a boil, then cook over high heat until it has evaporated and only fat remains in the pot, 10 to 15 minutes. Return the veal slices to the pot and sauté, turning, for 5 minutes, or until browned. Add 8 of the less attractive quince pieces, the cheesecloth with the cores, if you use it, the sweet wine from the skillet, the dry wine, 5 of the prunes, the Aleppo pepper or pepper flakes, cinnamon stick, bay leaf, allspice, stock and salt to taste.

Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 45 minutes, or until the meat is very tender.

Transfer the veal to a plate and set aside. Discard the cheesecloth with the peelings after pressing to extract all its juices, also discard the cinnamon stick and bay leaf. Transfer the cooked quinces, the prunes and the sauce to a blender and puree. Return to the pot and add the remaining 4 prunes and the remaining quince pieces to the sauce and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the quinces are soft but not mushy.

Carefully transfer the quinces to a small baking pan in a single layer, cover and keep warm.

Taste the sauce, and if you like, add the vinegar, and black pepper to taste. Return the meat to the sauce and simmer for 10 minutes more, or until heated through. Serve the meat and quince in a clay pot or platter.

OR if you like, caramelize the quince: preheat the broiler, then sprinkle the quinces with the remaining 2 to 3 teaspoons sugar and broil until caramelized, about 2 minutes. Place a slice of veal, a prune and some caramelized quinces on each plate. Pour a little sauce over the meat, sprinkle with the parsley and serve, passing the remaining sauce at the table.

VARIATION: You can use 2 cups pearl onions (fresh or frozen) instead of the prunes. Add them all at once with the wine as they need longer cooking. Do not puree the sauce in the blender.

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