Lamb with quince, slow-cooked over low heat

The quinces go into the pot for the last half hour, so they soften without falling apart. The stew tastes even better if you cook it a day ahead.

Ingredients

You will need: a heavy-bottomed 4–5 litre pot with a lid, and a 26 cm frying pan

Method

1. Prepare the meat

   Pat 1.2 kg of lamb dry with kitchen paper, because wet meat boils instead of searing. Season with 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp black pepper.

   Take the meat out of the fridge 20 minutes early, so it isn't cold when it goes into the pot.

   

2. Sear the meat

   Heat 45 ml of oil in the pot over high heat until it shimmers. Add half the meat and leave it for 2 minutes without touching it. Then turn it for 4–5 minutes, until golden brown on all sides. Move it to a plate and repeat with the rest. Don't put too much meat in at once, because it releases water and won't brown.

   

3. Soften the onions

   Turn the heat down to medium. Add 300 g of onions to the fat left from the meat and stir for 6 minutes, until soft and golden. Add 15 g of garlic and 30 g of tomato purée and stir for another minute, until the purée darkens.

   

4. Add the wine and water

   Pour in 150 ml of red wine and boil it for 2 minutes over high heat. Return the meat with the juices from the plate, then add 400 ml of hot water, 1 cinnamon stick and 2 bay leaves. Cover and simmer over low heat for 60 minutes, until a fork goes into the meat easily but the meat hasn't yet come off the bone.

   The liquid should come up two-thirds of the way up the meat. If there is less, add 100 ml of hot water.

   

5. Cut the quinces

   While the meat simmers, rub the fuzz off 700 g of quinces with a damp cloth. Cut them into eighths and cut out the core and seeds. Pour 500 ml of cold water into a bowl, add the juice of ½ a lemon and drop the quinces in, or they will turn brown.

   Quince is hard, so cut slowly. Put a damp cloth under the board so it doesn't slide.

   

6. Fry the quinces

   Melt 30 g of butter in a frying pan over medium heat. Pat the quinces dry and add them to the pan. Turn them for 5–6 minutes, until the edges turn golden. Add 25 g of honey and stir for 1 minute, until the pieces are coated in a shiny glaze.

   

7. Finish the stew

   Put the quinces in the pot between the pieces of meat. Simmer over low heat, with the lid slightly ajar, for 30–35 minutes, until the quinces are soft but still hold their shape and the sauce thickens. Taste and add a pinch of salt if needed. Don't stir with a spoon; just shake the pot, so the quinces don't fall apart.

   

8. Serve

   Roughly chop 40 g of walnuts and finely chop 10 g of parsley. Put a piece of meat and 2–3 pieces of quince on a plate, spoon over the sauce and sprinkle with the walnuts and parsley.

   

How to serve it

Serve with mashed potatoes or boiled bulgur, with a fresh cabbage and lemon salad on the side.

How to store it

The stew keeps for 3 days in the fridge in a closed container. Reheat it over low heat with 3–4 tbsp of water. In the freezer it keeps for up to 2 months, but the quinces will be softer.

What you can use instead

• Instead of quinces: 3 firm tart apples, cut into eighths. Add them for the last 15 minutes.
• Instead of red wine: 150 ml of water and 1 tbsp of apple cider vinegar.
• Instead of lamb shoulder: lamb shank, which cooks 20 minutes longer.

Questions and answers

Good to know

Meat with quince is known in the cuisines of the Balkans, Turkey and Iran, where lamb is stewed with quince, for example in the Persian quince and lamb stew.

Per serving (approximate): 560 kcal · protein 38 g · fat 30 g · carbohydrates 29 g