Accompaniment: Manchego cheese wedges (3/4 lb) at room temperature
Directions
Bring all ingredients except quinces to a boil in a 4-quart heavy pot, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Add quinces and simmer, partially covered, turning occasionally, until tender when pierced near core with a fork (core will remain hard), about 1 1/2 hours.
Transfer quinces with a slotted spoon to a pie plate or baking dish. Pour cooking juices through a sieve into a 2-cup measure. (If you have more than 1 1/2 cups juice, boil until syrupy and reduced.) Pour juices over quinces, then cool, spooning syrup over quinces several times. Chill, spooning syrup over quinces occasionally, at least 8 hours. (Syrup will gel and coat quinces as it chills.)
Put quinces in half lengthwise and serve with some jelly and cheese.
