Spiced poached quince with mascarpone

To begin, place the water, lemon juice, lemon zest, cinnamon stick and star anise in a medium pan over a low heat. Stir continually until all the sugar has dissolved

Meanwhile, peel each quince and cut into quarters, removing the cores

Add the quince quarters to the syrup and cover with a cartouche with a small hole cut in the middle to allow steam to escape (a cartouche is a round of parchment paper cut to fit snugly in the pan). Simmer for 2 hours or until the fruit is a deep red and tender and the syrup has reduced

Serve the quince in a little syrup with a generous dollop of mascarpone