Gourmet Thanksgiving in Advance (described here) Recipe #1.
A refreshing, sweet/tart accompaniment to turkey and mashed potatoes. It’s worth it to find quince, which has a pear-like consistency when cooked and a festive winter holiday flavor.
Cranberry, Quince, and Pearl Onion Compote
Adapted from Gourmet Magazine, November 2008
1/2 lb pearl onions (2 cups) – the recipe says “red preferred,” but I could only find white
2 cups organic apple juice
1/2 cup (raw) sugar- the recipe called for 1 cup but I found half to be very sweet
2 T cider vinegar
6 cloves
1 tsp coriander seeds- next time I might crush them or use a powdered form since the crunchy seeds stand out in the finished dish
2 quinces, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 (12-oz) bag fresh or frozen cranberries (not thawed if frozen)
1. Trim root end of each onion and cut an X in it. Blanch in boiling water 1 minute, then drain in a colander. Cool slighly, then peel. Be liberal in what you peel off, since the fibrous outer layers will compete with the texture of the final dish.
2. Bring juice, sugar, vinegar, and spices to a boil in a 3-qt heavy saucepan, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Add onions and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Add quinces and continue simmering, uncovered, stirring occasionally until both onions and quinces are tender but not falling apart.
3. Add cranberries and simmer until tender but not falling apart, 5 to 8 minutes. Discard cloves (easier to find than I had feared!). Trasnfer fruit and onions to a bowl using a slotted spoon, then boil syrup, if necessary, until reduced to 1/3 cup. Pour syrup over compote and cool to room temperature. (May be made 3 days ahead and chilled. Bring to room temperature before serving.)
