The fall and winter fruit known as quince has a flavor somewhere between a pear and an apple, but it's quite tart when raw—sometimes even downright astringent—and has hard, dry flesh. However, when cooked into desserts, jams, pastes, or compotes, quinces soften and become something much more unique and appealing than their uncooked counterparts. We wanted to showcase the flavor of quinces in a sophisticated pie with strong seasonal appeal. Instead of just slicing the quinces and tossing the hard fruit in the pie, we poached them first; this step not only softened the fruit to the perfect texture, but the poaching liquid infused it with flavor. We chose red wine as our medium for its deep, round flavor and dramatic hue. Taking a cue from a wintertime favorite, mulled wine, we added spices and some floral citrus zest. We mashed half of the poached quinces and sliced the other half; quinces are a pectin powerhouse so this technique was enough to create pie that set up without an additional thickener. We combined the quinces with a bit of the cooking liquid and some dried cherries, which underscored the fruity tartness of the wine. It's important to be fastidious when coring quinces, as the core remains tough even after cooking.
