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Cotignac d'Orléans (clear quince jelly)
Ruby-clear, firm quince jelly set in small round boxes
Orléans has made cotignac since the Middle Ages and offered it to visiting kings, and the town still sells it in small round wooden boxes, to be eaten by scraping the jelly out with the edge of the lid. It is a winter sweet, made when the autumn quinces come in and given at Christmas and New Year. The jelly is clear and ruby-red, firm enough to cut but tender on the tongue, with a scented, slightly tart quince flavour. Serve it after dinner with coffee, or with a mild cheese. Nothing but fruit and sugar sets it, so it is naturally egg-free: quinces are among the richest fruits in pectin, and boiling their juice with sugar to the setting point is all it takes. Small ramekins or silicone moulds lined with baking paper stand in for the wooden boxes. Chef's tip: let the cooked quince drip through the cloth without pressing; the common mistake is squeezing it, which clouds the jelly.
- Total time
- 290 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 16
Ingredients
- 3 ⅓ lb quincesabout 4
- 8 ¼ cups water
- 1 ¾ lb white sugar800 g for every litre of juice
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Rub the fuzz off 3 ⅓ lb quinces with a cloth. Cut them into rough pieces, keeping the peel and cores, which hold most of the pectin.
Step 2: Put the quinces in a large pan with 8 ¼ cups water, bring to the boil, then simmer, partly covered, over a low heat for 60 minutes, until the fruit is very soft and the liquid is pink.
60 minStep 3: Pour everything into a jelly bag or a sieve lined with damp muslin set over a bowl. Leave to drip for 1 hour without pressing.
60 minStep 4: Measure the juice; you should have about 1 litre. Pour it into a wide, heavy pan with 1 ¾ lb white sugar (800 g per litre) and 2 tbsp lemon juice. Stir over a medium heat until the sugar dissolves.
5 minStep 5: Boil hard for 20-25 minutes, skimming off the foam, until the jelly turns deep ruby and reaches 225°F. A drop on a cold saucer should set and wrinkle when pushed with a finger.
25 minStep 6: Meanwhile line 16 small round moulds or ramekins, about 6-8 cm across, with baking paper, or use silicone moulds.
Step 7: Pour the hot jelly into the moulds and leave at room temperature for at least 2 hours, or overnight, until set firm.
120 minStep 8: Turn out, or cover and keep the cotignac in the moulds. Store in a cool, dry place for up to 3 months.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 210 kcal
- Protein
- 0 g
- Carbs
- 52 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does cotignac d'Orléans (clear quince jelly) take?
- About 290 minutes in total: 200 minutes to prepare and 90 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 16 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- 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 white sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of lemon juice?
- Lime juice, same amount.
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