Day 193: even more joy forecast this christmas

I’d almost forgotten to post this one. In fact, I wasn’t really sure when to post it: it’s the kind of thing you make in advance, so do I post it at the making of, or at the eating of when it’s ready and you’ve actually eaten it? As quinces are in season now, and you might fancy making your own in advance of the abundance of cold meat - or cheese - platters this Christmas, I’ve decided to share it with you now: Day 193 is Nigella’s Mostarda Di Venezia.

Nigella’s Mostarda Di Venezia

Fragrant quinces cooked to a pulp in wine and simmered until thick, and deeper in colour, with mustard, salt and candied peel. I already love it; it’s sweet, fragrant, packing punch, and I can’t wait to serve it out with the cold meat platters this Christmas. As it now needs to be left to do its thing for a month, I’ll report back with some more pictures, and a description of what it tastes like, later in the year. Even more joy is now forecast for the Christmas Table (a general term I use for any table set over the Christmas period, not just the one on Christmas Eve/Day).

I didn’t manage to get the really good, jarred candied peel, but I did manage to avoid the bone-dry, hard, bittersweet, pre-cubed version you find in most supermarkets here. The peels I used were whole and still coated in a moist syrup, sold in plastic boxes; I used lemon and orange.

You can find the recipe for Nigella’s Mostarda Di Venezia in How To Eat.