L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2018 www.italoamericano.org 28 L'Italo-Americano LA BUONA TAVOLA RECIPES COOKING TIPS SEASONAL DISHES C otognata is a sweet jelly made from quince and com- monly known in En- glish as quince paste. In Spain it is called membrillo. The quince is a special fruit, it is large and irregularly shaped and not eaten raw because of its ex- cessively sour taste. It is also an old fashioned, intensely aromatic and much loved fruit. It's not an easy fruit to prepare, as it needs to be poached or cooked before it can be used in recipes. Quinces resem- ble a cross between a pear and an apple, but they are a separate and distinct fruit. The plant from which they derive is part of the same fa- mily as the rose, cherry and al- mond trees. Quinces are not com- monly found in Italian fruit markets and apparently in Italy not much land is dedicated to their cul- tivation. They are also only avai- lable for a limited period, from Oc- tober to November. Cotognata or jams made with quince confettura di mele cotogne can be a little ex- pensive, so when their strong floral aroma fills the market counters, many like to take advantage of their 1 month availability to make these precious jams and sweets at home. Cotognata is known to be Sici- lian, and quinces arrived on the island as a result of the Aragonese domination. But in Italy peasant families in the North used quince to perfume their cupboards for a long time before they decided to cook with them. They added sugar to them to neutralize their sour ta- ste and thus was born cotognata, in the peasant kitchens of the North. It has since become a true recipe of the Italian tradition. As I write this, I am sure many a Sicilian may disagree with this theory, but if you've ever resear- ched the history of traditional Ita- lian recipes, you will realize there is always much controversy to their origins. There are many recipes to pre- pare cotognata because over time each region has reinterpreted it in its own way, adding secret ingre- dients and small variations. In some areas of Northern Italy, spicy quince is also prepared. The pre- paration is identical to that of the classic cotognata, the only diffe- rence is that a selection of spices are added such as cloves, cinna- mon, pepper and a pinch of mu- stard. I am going to share a classic Sicilian recipe which is a delicacy to be savored a little each day. Throughout Italy, cotognata is eaten as a dessert, at the end of a meal. Some eat it for a sweet snack, accompanied by a good slice of fresh bread, just like any other fruit jam, although in this case it's not easily spread. Today, however, we see cotognata appear in different sought after combina- tions. More and more often it is proposed in savory matches, espe- cially with mature, full flavored cheeses made with cow's milk (Parmigiano Reggiano) or sheep's milk (Pecorino Romano for exam- ple). This is my favorite way to eat it, as the intense sweetness contra- sts so well with the sharp salty taste of aged cheeses. It might also be added in small cubes to a salad or eaten to accompany roast meats. Cotognata must be prepared with only ripe quinces, which should be cut into wedges, elimi- nating the core, seeds and any re- maining fur/fuzz (similar to pea- ches) on the surface of the fruit, even if this usually falls by itself when the apple is fully ripe. Quince pieces should be placed in a saucepan with lemon juice, to which cold water is added. The water is then brought to the boil and quinces are cooked until the peel has become soft. Then, they are drained and sieved. The next step involves cooking the fruit a second time, this time with the addition of sugar. This is where you must continue stirring care- fully as it simmers to prevent the TONI BRANCATISANO mixture from sticking to the pot. This stage can take well over an hour. Up to here the process is very similar to that of preparing a common jam. Still warm, the liquid cotognata is poured into molds. It must then rest for a few days inside the molds until it sets. Once removed from the molds, the cotognata is allowed to rest until a sugar "crust" has formed on the outside. The important thing is to leave it in a cool and ventilated place. A couple of days' rest will be enough before your home-made cotognata is ready to taste. COTOGNATA INGREDIENTS ■ 1 Kg of quince ■ 1 Lemon skin on ■ white sugar (the same amount as the weight/amount in cups of the cooked quince purée) METHOD 1. Wash the quince. Chop into same size pieces, removing the core. Add the quince pieces to a large saucepan with the whole le- mon (washed well), and cover with cold water. 2. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered. Stir occasionally for about 30 mi- nutes or until the fruit is tender. 3. Drain the quince and discard the lemon. Pass quince through a sieve or potato ricer to eliminate peel if you cooked it without pee- ling it first. 4. Place the quince in the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth. 5. Weigh the quince purée, and measure the exact same amount of sugar. 6. Combine the quince and the sugar in a large, heavy-based sau- cepan. Place over low heat and al- low to cook, stirring until all the sugar has dissolved. 7. Continue cooking on a me- dium-low heat, stirring continuou- sly. Continue until the mixture is thickened and dark amber in co- lor. This can take well over an hour, maybe two. 8. Carefully pour cotognata into molds for cotognata (they are wet first to allow the easy removal of the cotognata once it has set), or any other small bowl you have. It is also common to put it in a rectangle baking dish where it is then cut into cubes. You might want to wait for it to cool a little and transfer it into ramekin dishes lined with plastic kitchen wrap. Set it aside until it has set. 9. In Sicily, Cotognata is left out in the sun to 'dry' and solidify for 2 – 3 days. As far as conservation is con- cerned, once some small rules have been adopted, the cotognata keeps its characteristics for a long time in terms of consistency and goodness. The most important thing is that the pieces of cotognata are always kept dry. Among the ol- dest, but always effective tips for conservation, is that of putting the quince in a tin box with a handful of dried bay leaves. An equally effective solution involves wrapping each single piece of quince with a little tran- sparent kitchen film, then putting them in a tin box to keep in a cool, dry place away from light. In this way, the cotognata will keep for several months. Cotognata is good on its own as a dessert, but also with aged cheeses. Photo: Toni Brancatisano Cotognata can be made into small molds or in a larger rectangular one, then sliced. Photo: Toni Brancatisano A sweet Italian tradition: cotognata

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