Cotognata Siciliana

Cotognata is a sweet, hard jam made from Quince, and commonly known in English as Quince Paste. In Spain it is called ‘Membrillo’.

The Quince is a special fruit, it is large and irregularly shaped and not eaten raw because of its’ excessively sour taste. It is also an old fashioned, intensely aromatic and much loved fruit. It’s not an easy fruit to prepare as it needs to be poached or cooked before it can be used in recipes. Quince resemble a cross between a pear and an apple, but they are a separate and distinct fruit. The plant from which they derive is part of the same family as the rose, cherry and almond trees. Quince are not commonly found in Italian fruit markets and apparently in Italy not much land is dedicated to their cultivation. They are also only available for a limited period, from October to November. ‘Cotognata’ or jams made with Quince ‘confettura di Mele Cotogne’ can be a little expensive, so when their strong floral aroma fills the market counters many like to take advantage of their 1 month availability to make these precious jams and sweets at home.

Cotognata is a dessert that is very easy to prepare, but you must have patience and be attentive throughout. A couple of minute’s absence from the saucepan can mean a burnt mess that ends up in the trash! You must first cook and reduce the Quince to a puree and then cook them again with sugar.  It is then placed in traditional molds, often terracotta.  These have a design that remains ‘imprinted’ on the surface of the cotognata.

Throughout Italy, Cotognata is eaten savoring it among the desserts at the end of a meal. Some eat it for a sweet snack, accompanied by a good slice of fresh bread, just like any other fruit jam, although in this case it’s not easily spread.. Today, however, we see cotognata appear in different sought after combinations. More and more often it is proposed in savory combinations, especially with mature, full flavored cheeses made with cow’s milk (Parmiggiano Reggiano) or sheep’s milk (Pecorino Romano for example). This is my favourite way to eat it, the intense sweetness contrasts so well to the sharp salty taste of aged cheeses. It might also be added in small cubes to a salad or eaten to accompany roast meats.

Cotognata Siciliana

Ingredients

• 1 kg quince, cut into equal sized cubes
• 1 lemon, skin on
• white sugar (the same amount as the weight/amount in cups of the cooked quince puree)

Method

1. Wash the quince. Chop into same size pieces, removing the core. Add the quince pieces to a large saucepan with the whole lemon (washed well), and cover with cold water.
2. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered. Stir occasionally for about 30 minutes or until the fruit is tender.
3. Drain the quince and discard the lemon. Pass quince through a sieve or ‘potato ricer’ to eliminate peel if you cooked quince without peeling it first.
4. Place the quince in the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth.
5. Weigh the quince purèe, and measure the exact same amount of sugar.
6. Combine the quince and the sugar in a large, heavy-based saucepan. Place over low heat and allow to cook, stirring until all the sugar has dissolved.
7. Continue cooking on a medium low heat, stirring continuously. Continue until the mixture is thickened and dark amber in colour. 
8. Carefully pour ‘cotognata’ into molds for cotognata (they are wet first to allow the easy removal of the cotognata once it has set), or any other small bowl you have. It is also common to put it in a rectangle baking dish where it is then cut into cubes. You might want to wait for it to cool a little and transfer it into ramekin dishes lined with plastic kitchen wrap. Set it aside until it has set.
9. In Sicily, Cotognata is left out in light, but not direct sun, to ‘dry’ and solidify for 2 – 3 days.
   

Cotognata keeps its characteristics for a long time in terms of consistency and goodness.  The most important thing is that the pieces of cotognata are always kept dry.  An old but effective method for keeping the Cotognata, is that of putting it in a tin box with a handful of dried bay leaves.

An equally effective solution involves wrapping each single piece of quince with a little transparent kitchen film, then putting them in a tin box to keep in a cool, dry place away from light. In this way the cotognata will keep for several months.

Cotognata Siciliana

ingredienti

• 1 kg di mela cotogna tagliata a cubetti di dimensioni uguali
• 1 limone con buccia
• zucchero bianco (la stessa quantità del peso / quantità in tazze della purea di mele cotogne cotte)

metodo

1. Lavare le mele cotogne. Tagliarle in pezzi dello stesso formato metterle in una casseruola con un limone intero (ben lavato), quindi coprire con acqua fredda.
2. Portare ad ebollizione. Ridurre il calore al minimo e lasciar sobbollire, coperto. Mescolare di tanto in tanto per circa 30 minuti o fino a quando la frutta è morbida.
3. Scolare la mela cotogna e scartare il limone. Passare la mela cotogna al setaccio e mettere il composto nella ciotola di un robot da cucina; mescolare fino a ottenere un composto liscio.
4. Pesare la purea di mele cotogne e misurare esattamente la stessa quantità di zucchero.
5. Unire la mela cotogna e lo zucchero in una casseruola grande.  Mettere a fuoco basso e lasciare cuocere, mescolando fino a quando tutto lo zucchero si sarà sciolto.
6. Continuare la cottura a fuoco medio-basso, mescolando continuamente, fino a quando il composto è denso e di colore ambra scuro. Attenzione a mescolare in continuazione per evitare che lo zucchero si caramellizzi.
7. Versare con cura la “cotognata” in stampini per cotognata (sono bagnati per primi per consentire la facile rimozione della cotognata una volta che è stata impostata), o qualsiasi altra piccola ciotola che si ha. Si può anche usare una teglia rettangolare, per poi tagliare il risultato a cubetti.
8. Lasciarla solidificare prima di sformare la cotognata. In Sicilia, la Cotognata viene lasciata alla luce, ma non al sole diretto, per “asciugare” e solidificare ancora per 2 – 3 giorni.