savoury quince and onions

You might remember, our love affair with a box of quince two years ago.  we swooned over the scent of the ripe fruit, making quince preserve and quince apple butter.  we lathered it on toast, layered it in the party scone and sent it to our friends & families for the holidays.  the flavor, (and aroma) of a quince is unforgettably perfumed & floral, sweet without cloying and tart without pucker, absolutely unlike other pome fruits.  this year began a whole new affair as we began experimenting with quince in its dinner attire (think middle eastern).  our findings?  quince has an affinity for meat and is particularly stand out with lamb, pork and fish.  we kept returning to this golden hued riff: piles of sauteed onions, a hint of turmeric & cinnamon, thinly sliced quince and a drizzle of honey. buen provecho!

1 -2 onions about 2 packed cups sliced & separated3 medium quince, about 2 packed cups cooked3 -4 Tbl olive oil1 tsp ground ginger or 3 tsp fresh ginger, peel & grate1/2 tsp turmeric1/2 tsp cinnamon1 Tbl honeysea salt and pepper1 Tbl pomegranate seeds, optionalQuarter the quince and add to a pot of water to cover by an inch.  bring to a boil and simmer 5-10 minutes, until the quince begin to soften and the skin cracks.  remove from heat, strain out the water and let cool.  when the quince aren't too hot to touch, remove the core and slice into thin wedge-shaped slices.

To prepare the onions:  cut in half lengthwise and thinly slice each half.  you will have many half circle slices.  gently rub then between your hands to separate. 

In a large saute pan heat about a tbl of olive oil on medium heat.  add the turmeric, gently swirling to mix in.  next add the sliced onions and saute till soft and nearly carmelized, 5-10 minutes, making sure they are covered with the oil, adding more as needed.  toward the end, add salt and pepper to taste and ginger.  once the onions have softened, add the quince and a little more oil.  continue to cook for another 5 minutes or so as the flavors come together.  remove from heat to a serving platter.  sprinkle with cinnamon, drizzle with the honey, top with pomegranate seeds and serve hot.  alternatively, stir in the cinnamon, honey and pomegranate seeds and serve at room temperature.