Bring to a boil a pot of water. Add a pinch of salt and pour in the rice. Cook according to the packaging instructions. In my case it took about 15 minutes.

Drain the rice and transfer it again into the pot. Pour in the cream and whole milk, put it back on the stove and bring back to a simmer. Cook for about 30 minutes on low flame, stirring often, or until the rice is creamy, but not too dry.

If you are not going to serve the rice immediately, use some milk to reheat it until smooth and creamy.

Put sugar and water in a saucepan, spice the water with cloves, vanilla, cinnamon and star anise. Carefully peel the quinces, it will require a good dose of patience, cut them in half lengthwise and rub with half a lemon to prevent them from browning. Add the quinces, cut into wedges, into the saucepan and simmer over low heat until soft. Twenty-five minutes may be enough or it may take a little longer, it all depends on their size and ripeness.

Meanwhile, heat the oven to 180°C. When quinces are tender to the point of a knife, they are ready. Add the honey and stir to dissolve it. Roast quinces for about 40 minutes in the oven until soft and caramelized.

Serve the roast quinces with a spoonful of rice pudding draped with their spiced syrup.