Baked Quince with Spiced Dry Plum Sauce

The Quince is a small deciduous tree, related to apples and pears, and like them has a pear-shaped fruit, which is bright golden yellow when mature. The fruit’s unique fragrance, hinting of pineapple, guava and Bartlett pear, can perfume a room. All commercial varieties are too hard, sour and astringent to eat raw, but the quince’s whitish-yellow flesh softens and turns an attractive pink when cooked. It’s high pectin content makes it ideal for preserves, and its sharp, distinctive flavor complements a wide variety of dishes. This typical English recipe is a wonderful accompaniment for roasted meats and wild game.