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Ayva tatlısı
Ayva tatlısı: quince halves poached ruby-red, served with clotted cream
In autumn the market stalls of Ankara and Kayseri are piled with knobbly yellow quinces, and the best-loved thing to make with them is ayva tatlısı: halves poached slowly in syrup with their own seeds and a few cloves until they turn translucent and a deep garnet colour. Each half is filled with thick kaymak or clotted cream and topped with pistachio. Common mistake: rushing it on a high heat; the red colour only comes with long, gentle cooking. Chef's tip: tie the cores and seeds in a little muslin bag and cook them with the fruit; their natural pectin and tannins give the syrup body and that ruby glow.
- Total time
- 95 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
To serve
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What you'll need
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (2)
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Scoop the core out of each half of 2 quinces with a melon baller or teaspoon to make a neat hollow. Put the halves in a wide pan, hollow side up, and scatter the cores and seeds around (or tie them in muslin).
Step 2: Sprinkle over 9 oz sugar, pour in 2 cups water and push a clove or two into each half with the rest of 6 whole cloves in the liquid.
Step 3: Bring to a simmer, then cover and cook over a low heat for 60–75 minutes, basting every 15 minutes, until the quince is tender, translucent and reddish and the syrup has thickened.
75 minStep 4: Stir 1 tbsp lemon juice into the syrup, discard the cores and seeds and let the quinces cool in their syrup.
Step 5: Serve at room temperature or chilled, each half filled with a spoon of 5 ½ oz clotted cream or kaymak, a little syrup spooned around and 2 tbsp pistachios on top.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 420 kcal
- Protein
- 2 g
- Carbs
- 72 g
- Fat
- 15 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does ayva tatlısı take?
- About 95 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 75 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of whole cloves?
- Ground cloves, ¼ tsp for every 3 whole cloves.
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