For four people, preparation: 20 minutes

• • 2 kg quinces • 1 kg sugar • 1 vanilla bean

Wash the quinces, scrubbing them to remove the downy coating, cut them into quarters, remove the core and seeds, put the seeds in a muslin bag, and coarsely chop the flesh without removing the skin. Place the pieces of quince and the muslin bag in a large pan of boiling water, cook for 30 minutes (until just soft, check with the tip of a knife). Remove the skin, drain well, purée the flesh in a blender. Cook the quince purée with the sugar and the vanilla bean split lengthwise on a very low heat for about 15 minutes (the mixture should come away from the sides of the pan). Spread the paste out to a thickness of 2 cm in a shallow dish on some greaseproof paper. Leave to dry for several days before cutting into squares. The quince paste can be stored in a dry place for several months. Enjoy with some Basque Ossau-Iraty sheep's milk cheese and a glass of Sauternes.