Quince, kumquat… what’s that?

Unfamiliar fruit and vegetables can still find a way into our cuisine and help us discover new, exciting flavours

retaining the liquid; allow to cool. Discard rind.

BY SHERYL DIXIT

Iwas never a fan of the sabji mandi back in India, but then, I didn’t have to cook for a fussy family. That’s changed now that we live in Australia, and my wanderings through aisles of fruit and vegetables have yielded unusual finds such as asparagus, quince, celery, kumquat, persimmon and tamarillo, to name a few. These were only familiar to me through cookbooks and cooking shows.

But now, I am slowly experimenting with these exotic offerings, and am finding ways to introduce them into our daily cuisine. It’s a bit off the traditional track, but these easy to cook recipes enhance our daily cuisine. And the results have been interesting and surprisingly pleasurable.

Quince tart

This makes a great teatime treat or even a dessert, as quince is a more exotic substitute than the trustworthy, humble (and boring) apple

For the pastry

1 lemon

1 cup wholemeal flour

¼ cup white sugar

70 g butter, softened

For the filling

About 500g quinces

1 orange

½ cup apple juice

2 tbsp white sugar

¾ cup slivered almonds

2 eggs

2/3 cup cream cheese or mascarpone cheese

1 tbsp honey

1 tsp ground cinnamon

Grate half the lemon and place rind, flour, sugar, 2 tbsp water and the butter in a bowl. Knead to a smooth dough and add more water if needed. Take a 26cm cake tin and line with pastry, shaping an edge 2.5 cm high. Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Next, preheat the oven to 200 degrees C. Quarter, peel and core quinces and cut into slices of 1cm thickness. Peel a few thin strips of rind from the orange. Then cut it in half and squeeze out the juice. In a saucepan, bring juice, rind, apple juice and sugar to a boil. Add quince slices and poach over low heat for 15 minutes. Strain,

Remove the chilled pastry tin from the fridge and sprinkle the almonds over the pastry base. Prebake the pastry for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 180 degrees C. Place quinces on the pastry base. Whisk the reserved cooled cooking liquid with the eggs and cream cheese; pour over the fruit. Bake for a further 30 minutes.

Combine honey and cinnamon. Spread over tart. Leave tart in the turned-off oven for 10 minutes. Gently remove pastry from tin after thoroughly cooled. Serve and enjoy.

Asparagus and chicken Thai green curry

This traditional curry takes on a flavour of its own with asparagus, combining the richness of the vegetable with succulent chicken. A delicious treat, not for the weight-conscious.

2 tbsp sunflower oil

700 g chicken breast fillets, cut into 2cm cubes

1 large onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 lemongrass stem, outer leaves removed, quartered lengthways

4 tbsp green curry paste

300 ml coconut milk

1 cup (250ml) chicken stock

2 tbsp green peppercorns (soak, if dry or drain, if bottled)

2 kaffir lime leaves

1 bunch thin asparagus, woody ends trimmed, halved Fish sauce (optional, to season)

Coriander leaves, finely chopped

Heat oil in a wok or a thick-based saucepan on high heat. Stir-fry chicken cubes in batches, until golden all over. Place in a bowl and set aside. In the same wok, add onion, garlic and lemongrass, and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add the curry paste and cook, stirring, for a further minute. Return the chicken to the wok and add the coconut milk, stock, peppercorns and kaffir lime leaves, then bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 2 minutes. Add the asparagus and cook for a further 2 minutes or until bright green.

Season to taste with fish sauce. Sprinkle chopped coriander leaves before serving. Serve hot with basmati or steamed jasmine rice.

Gourmet kumquats chutney circles

This is a great dish with a touch of Indian spices to serve up as an hors d’oeuvre at a party. Kumquats are the smallest of citrus fruit with a sweet skin and zest, but a tangy and mildly bitter inside.

1 tbsp sunflower oil

1 red onion, finely diced

½ tsp dried red chilli flakes

½ tsp black mustard seeds

½ tsp ground cumin

½ tsp turmeric

4-cm cinnamon sticks, snapped in half

500 g kumquats, sliced in half lengthways

65 g light brown sugar

120 g sherry vinegar

1 sheet of puff pastry

Heat the oil in a heavy-based saucepan on a moderate heat, and add the red onion. Fry for 2-3 minutes until the onion has

Add the chillies, mustard seeds, cumin, turmeric and cinnamon to the pan. Continue frying for a further 2 minutes. Drop in the kumquats and cook for 3-4 minutes, until just beginning to soften. Add the brown sugar and pour over the vinegar, while still on the heat. Cover, and simmer for 8-10 minutes, until the kumquats have completely softened and lost their shape. Remove the lid and continue boiling for a further 6-8 minutes until the juices have cooked down and thickened.

Remove the pan from the heat and leave to cool.

Allow the puff pastry sheet to soften slightly, then cut into shapes of circles, squares or stars with cookie cutters. Place shapes on a baking tray and bake at 200 degrees C for 8-10 minutes until the pastry has risen slightly. Remove from the oven, place a portion of the kumquat chutney in the centre of each shape. Return to the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes until the pastry is puffy and cooked through. Remove, cool and serve as a delicious hors d’oeuvre.

Can also be served separately with dipping pita bread or on chappatis.

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