Mexican cuisine · Desserts & Sweets

Ate de Membrillo con Queso

Firm quince paste from Michoacán, cut into sliceable pieces and served with mild fresh cheese.

Ingredients · for 8 servings

• 1 kg quinces
• 700 g sugar
• 1 lemon
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 300 ml water
• 1 pinch salt
• 250 g fresh cheese
• 1 tbsp butter for the dish

Instructions

1. Rub the fuzz off the quinces with a cloth, wash, quarter and put into a pot with the peel and core still on – that's where the pectin is that will later set the paste.
2. Cover and cook with the water and cinnamon stick for 25–30 min until soft and falling apart, then remove the cinnamon stick and pass everything through a sieve.
3. Weigh the pulp, put it in a wide pot with an equal amount of sugar, the lemon juice and a pinch of salt, and bring to a boil over medium heat.
4. Simmer, stirring almost constantly, for 45–55 min, until the mixture is deep reddish-brown and the pot bottom shows for two seconds when you drag the spoon through it – be careful, it spatters.
5. Pour the mixture into a shallow dish about 20 × 20 cm greased with butter, smooth it out and let dry uncovered at room temperature for at least 12 hours.
6. Turn out the firm paste, cut into 1 cm thick slices and arrange each with an equally thick slice of fresh cheese on a board.