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Ingredients

• 1 quince
• Zest and juice of 1 lime
• 75g butter
• 290ml milk
• 140g caster sugar
• 60g fresh white breadcrumbs
• Grated zest of 1 lemon
• 2 eggs, separated
• 2 tbsp good compote, strawberry, raspberry or damson

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Method

Peel and core the quince. Cut into 1cm cubes. In a small saucepan heat 50g butter, add quince with limejuice and zest. Colour and soften the quince. Cool and pat dry on kitchen paper. Reserve.

Heat the milk and add remaining butter with 30g of the sugar. Stir until the sugar dissolves, then add the breadcrumbs and lemon zest. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.

Mix the egg yolks into the breadcrumbs mixture. Stir in the quince and pour mixture into a 600ml pie dish. Leave to stand for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 180°C/340°F/Gas 4. Place the dish in a roasting tin and pour hot water into the tin to come about two-thirds of the way up the outside of the dish. Bake the pudding for 45 minuets or until it is just set. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly.

Reduce the oven temperature to 150°C/300°F/Gas 2.Warm the compote and carefully spread over the pudding. Whisk the egg whites until stiff. Whisk in 2 tbsp of the remaining sugar. Whisk again until very stiff and shiny, then fold in all but ½ tbsp of the remaining sugar.

Pipe the meringue on top of the pudding and dust the top lightly with the reserved sugar. Bake for about 10 minutes, until the meringue is set and lightly pale golden, serve hot with thick cream.

Cut the fruit after washing it. Cover with water and simmer gently, covered until the medlars have reduced to a soft pulp. Strain the juice through a muslin-lined sieve, without pressure – which will provide a clear jelly. Alternatively if you squeeze the pulp hard you’ll get an opaque appearance.

Measure the juice. Put it onto boil with 500g of sugar to 600ml of juice.

As in jam making, the jelly will reach setting point, at which point it@s ready to be poured in to a sterilised jar.

Testing for the setting point: spoon a small amount of the boiling jelly on to a plate, pop the plate in to the fridge and allow to cool. The jelly is ready if the sample forms a skin that is firm enough to wrinkle when when you push it with your fingertip. If the sample remains completely fluid continue to boil the jelly for a few minutes then re-test.