'I am a little prone to romantic illusions and imagine our pheasants wandering around a quince orchard, but Colin advised me that the pheasants would peck at the fruit as it ripened, so there had to be a little adjustment to my dream' writes Maggie Beer in her book, Maggie's Farm. 'They inspire me so! Their look as a fruit, the beauty of the blossom and the diversity of uses of this often ignored fruit seem to me to be the essence of the country.'
Oh Maggie, I am so with you on this. Quinces are one of my favourite autumn fruits and not only are they a pretty sight on a kitchen table, they smell and taste divine, and are versatile too. Indeed, quinces can be used in a range of sweet or savoury dishes, or made into paste, jelly or jam. They can also be pickled, and make a lovely accompaniment to lamb.
In their bestselling cookbook, Jerusalem, Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi share a recipe for 'lamb-stuffed quince with pomegranate and coriander'. In that recipe, the quinces are halved and hollowed out with a melon baller. The flesh is cooked with lamb mince and spices, then stuffed back into the quince shell and slow-cooked. Or, they suggest that the mince is made into meatballs and cooked in the sauce alongside the diced quince. Yum. My version of the recipe calls for diced lamb, which is cooked with the segmented fruit. Over time, it has become a favourite on my repertoire and, to my surprise, Peter loves it too. I like to use Buderim baby stem ginger in the dish, in place of fresh ginger, as it adds another depth of sweetness. SLOW-COOKED LAMB WITH QUINCE AND POMEGRANATE 2-3 good sized quinces juice of a lemon 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 2 small onions, chopped 1 clove garlic, roughly chopped 6 cardamom pods, slightly crushed 600g diced lamb 2 tablespoons Buderim baby stem ginger*, chopped 1 teaspoon allspice 2 teaspoons pomegranate molasses 2 teaspoons sugar 500mls vegetable stock 1 bird's eye chilli, chopped (optional) sea salt and cracked black pepper, to taste 1 tablespoon fresh coriander leaves, chopped, to garnish seeds from half a pomegranate, to garnish Peel and core the quinces, and cut the fruit into large chunks, then pop them into a Pyrex bowl filled with acidulated water from the lemon. This will stop the flesh turning brown. Heat the olive oil in a heavy-based pan (I use my enamelled cast iron oval roaster). Saute the onion and garlic over a medium-low heat until softened, then add the diced lamb and cook, stirring until nicely browned (turn up the heat a little if need be). Next, add the cardamom pods, ginger, allspice, pomegranate molasses, sugar, stock and chilli if using. Stir well. Now add the quince pieces. Lower the heat, pop on the lid and simmer gently for 40-50 minutes, until the lamb is tender, the quince is soft and the sauce reduced. Season to taste with the salt and pepper. Serve with steamed basmati rice and garnish with the coriander and pomegranate seeds. Serves 4. *Use two teaspoons finely grated fresh ginger if baby stem ginger is not available.
Tell me dear readers, which fruits or vegetables take centre stage in your kitchen with the change of the seasons? And do you adore quinces as much as I do?
40 Comments
Lizzy
3/6/2015 11:29:24 am
Maureen, thank you, it IS delish!
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Lizzy
3/6/2015 11:29:44 am
Amen to that, Padaek x
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Lizzy
3/6/2015 11:30:04 am
Thanks Glenda, I think you two would love this!
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21/5/2015 06:27:12 am
I've not made that recipe -- looks wonderful. Love your version. Definitely need to try this -- it sounds so interesting.
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Lizzy
3/6/2015 11:30:21 am
It really IS delicious, John x
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21/5/2015 11:14:31 am
i had never heard of (seen, eaten, smelled) quinces til I moved to Tassie almost 20 years ago. it seems that every old country home and even big old suburban block has a gnarly old quince tree! I never cease to be amazed at their metamorphosis, from hard yellow furry and inedible, to juicy rich and rosy!
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Lizzy
3/6/2015 11:31:07 am
Like you, Elizabeth, I had never really eaten quince either until the 1990s when I tasted some slow roasted quinces made by the famous chef and food writer, Di Holuigue.
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21/5/2015 01:12:36 pm
Oh I was kind of hoping for a pic of that stuffed quince. It sounds lovely!
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Lizzy
3/6/2015 11:31:58 am
Sorry, Lorraine. My hands don't have the strength any longer to core an entire quince or two... but I think it would be a lovely way to serve the dish!
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21/5/2015 06:57:39 pm
Sounds freakin delicious.... minus the lamb. Lol! I'd be keen to try this recipe with beef or perhaps game.
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Lizzy
3/6/2015 11:32:26 am
It really is delicious, Anna, and I think beef would be suitable too!
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21/5/2015 07:25:51 pm
oh, this is a dish I could devour. At the moment it is all about guavas in my kitchen :)
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Lizzy
3/6/2015 11:32:46 am
Yummy to your guavas, Tandy x
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Lizzy
3/6/2015 11:33:10 am
Sounds like a win-win to me, Mandy. Have a fab weekend, lovely one xo
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Lizzy
3/6/2015 11:33:38 am
It is a delicious dish indeed, Mary Frances, thank you for stopping by!
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22/5/2015 05:57:54 pm
Your first image is so gorgeous and I also like the image of the lamb with the pomegranates - stunning. What a fantastic dish. I've never had lamb with quince but now I want to try it. And it's definitely the season for some long and slow cooking xx
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Lizzy
3/6/2015 11:34:00 am
Thanks so much, Charlie xo
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23/5/2015 05:46:31 am
To be honest I have never been much of a quince fan, nor have I ever enjoyed lamb, but after seeing the dish I feel tempted to grab a plate full of it. So, it sounds as if I should finally get that book.
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Lizzy
3/6/2015 11:34:24 am
Helene!!! Welcome back my lovely friend. How are you??!?!!? xx
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23/5/2015 08:21:44 am
Damn delicious!!
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23/5/2015 01:14:24 pm
Lovely photo of the dish Liz. I saw so many quinces when we were in SA but just not pomegranates, they are as rare as hen's teeth here.
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Lizzy
3/6/2015 11:34:58 am
Wow, Fiona... incidentally, did you receive those old middle eastern cookbooks I sent to you?
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Andrea
23/5/2015 01:59:14 pm
Oh Liz, this looks amazing, I shall have to make it next weekend! And, I have a bottle of pomegranate molasses in my pantry too!!! Xx
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Lizzy
3/6/2015 11:35:18 am
Perfect timing then, Andrea. Let me know how it goes x
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24/5/2015 12:59:48 am
I LOVE quinces - and I've got a quince tree too! But the Sulphur-crested Cockatoos (aka 'chainsaws of the sky') ensure we NEVER get any!! I love how the smell of ripening quinces fills the house. I love quince pickles, baked quinces and quince jelly tart. And I LOVE that I only live about 40 minutes drive from Maggie Beer's!!!
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Lizzy
3/6/2015 11:35:50 am
Oh blast those cockatoos, Marian. And now you are making me envious!!!
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Lizzy
3/6/2015 11:36:43 am
Thank you David... I love O's version too, but my hands don't have the strength to work with the quince that way. Hence why I chopped the fruit instead. Happy cooking my friend.
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Lizzy
3/6/2015 11:37:03 am
Not at all. Thank YOU Elizabeth for stopping by x
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25/5/2015 09:54:33 pm
Oh yes quince is just so much my favourite. I haven't ever cooked it like this what an irresistible idea.
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Lizzy
3/6/2015 11:37:27 am
This is a lovely way to try quince in a savoury dish, Tania xo
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Andrea
29/5/2015 10:20:29 pm
Am feeling so contented ! Made the dish today, beautiful and comforting! Thank you!!!❤️
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Lizzy
3/6/2015 11:37:57 am
Oh Andrea, you ARE a gem! Thank you for that lovely feedback. So glad that you enjoyed this x
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11/6/2015 12:54:43 am
A beautiful looking dish Liz, autumn fruits always look so luxurious...
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Cooking and writing have been a lifelong passion. Join me as I share with you my favourite recipes; postcards and morsels from my travels; conversations with cookery writers and chefs; and news on food, cookbooks and cooking. - Liz Posmyk
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