The Chef: Patrick Fahy (Sixteen)The Challenger : Chris Teixeira (Homestead)The Ingredient: Quince
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He compared the flavor of quince to that of apple and pear—they’re in the same family—and said that you can treat it the same way you would the other two fruits. “With the exception of cider,” he added. “I’ve never heard of quince cider, although that sounds pretty cool.”
Fahy stuck with what he knew, though, preparing the quince the way that had worked best for him in the past: cooking it slowly in red wine and sugar. “If you cook the quince for a long time at a low temperature, it maintains its structure. Cooking it too fast, it gets really mushy,” he said.
Who’s next:
If you don’t own a circulator or a vacuum-pack machine, place the quince quarters in a pot with the poaching liquid. Bring liquid to a boil, and then lower to a simmer. Using a towel or parchment paper, cover the top of the quince so that no air is touching the quince. Simmer for three hours. Rotate quince and simmer another three hours.
Set up small rings on silpat, and cut cake circles to fit in the bottom of each. Put in freezer. Place cream, sugar, and gelatin in a pan and heat just enough to melt gelatin. Pour over crème fraiche and blend. Pour about 75 grams into each ring mold and place in cooler until set.
