Quince and Rutabaga Purée with Apple Balsamico and Thyme
What can be done with leftover quince and rutabaga? Throw them together and mash them with sweet Apple Balsamico vinegar and thyme! When I made my ginger lemon brandy with quince last week I bought too many of the fruits (as always) and their colour slowly changed from yellow to brown in the past few days. It was time to use them before they looked like potatoes. I could have also made jelly out of them but I still have a couple jars left, I just use it to refine sauces but it never finds its way onto my breakfast table. The competition in my pantry is tough, there's also white vineyard peach jam, Tyrolean plums and my all time favourite, chunky strawberry. Soon I'll make new batches of my tangerine and my blood orange marmalade and I'm slowly running out of space.
So no more jam but a purée which is a fruity alternative to mashed potatoes, ideally with a hearty roast and some aromatic gravy on the plate - heavenly! Both the quince and rutabaga flavours came through quite balanced and merged with the woody thyme, a little maple syrup and thick Apple Balsamico. You could use normal balsamic vinegar as well but the apple complements the quince and adds a little more sweetness, pear balsamico would be nice too. If you have it at hand, here's the perfect dish for it to show off its qualities!
Quince and Rutabaga Purée with Apple Balsamico and Thyme
As a side dish for 4 you need
rutabaga, peeled and cut into little cubes, 300g / 10.5 ounces
quince, peeled, cored and cut into little cubes, 3
white wine
granulated sugar 1 teaspoon
salt and pepper
a pinch of cinnamon
olive oil
maple syrup, 1-2 tablespoons, to taste
apple balsamic vinegar, 1-2 tablespoons, to taste
fresh thyme leaves, 1 tablespoon plus more for the topping
In a sauce pan, heat a little olive oil and sauté the quince and rutabaga with the sugar for 2-3 minutes on medium heat. Deglaze with a splash of white wine and add some water, it should come up about 2.5cm / 1". Season with salt, pepper and cinnamon and stir in the maple syrup. Close with a lid and let it simmer on medium-low heat for about 30-40 minutes or until the fruit and root are soft, purée in a blender and season to taste. Serve warm, sprinkled with thyme and a little more Balsamico vinegar.
