In a medium to large pot, bring to the boil the water and sugar.

Using a very sturdy peeler, and protecting your clothes with an apron, peel the quince. Cut each into 8 pieces. Don’t worry about the seeds and white pith around them for the moment – they can go right into the pot with the pieces of fruit.

Once the sugar syrup is boiling, add the quince and bring back to the boil. Let the pieces simmer gently for about 30 minutes, or until a knife poked into a piece meets just a little bit of resistance. Stir the quince pieces from time to time to make sure all the fruit is cooked evenly. The pieces should begin turning a beautiful pink color.

Using a slotted spoon, remove the fruit from the syrup and let it drain in a colander. If you want to save the syrup for another use, which I recommend (see above), strain it through a fine-mesh strainer and then let it cook down over low heat, reducing it to a thick syrup.

Once the quince pieces have cooled, use a small paring knife or even a sharp-edged spoon to dig out any remaining seeds. Remove the white pith, or any other part of the quince’s insides that are hard. Run your finger along the inner edges to check for tough areas, and then cut them away. Cut each piece into 4 smaller pieces.

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). To make the crumble mixture, combine the raw sugar, almond flour, flour, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk to combine and then add the cold butter. With your hands, rub the ingredients together quickly until the mixture looks like very coarse breadcrumbs.

Butter a 7 x 11-inch (18 x 28cm) glass baking dish, or any attractive, similar-sized oven-proof dish. Spread the quince pieces in the bottom of the dish, and top with the crumble mixture. Bake in the middle of the oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the top is golden brown and bubbly. Remove the dish from the oven and let it cool for about 10 minutes. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of crème fraiche if you like. Bon app’!