Quince & Lamb Tajine
Lamb Tajine with Quinces
Adapted from Chez Panisse Fruit
Serves 4 or more
Ingredients:
3 lbs. lamb shoulder or other stew meat, cut into 2-inch cubes, excess fat removed
salt and pepper
olive oil (or neutral cooking oil)
2 largish onions, peeled and grated (use coarse side of grater over a bowl)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cinnamon stick
2 teaspoons finely grated, fresh ginger root
1/2 teaspoon crumbled saffron
2 lbs. quinces
2 tablespoons honey
juice of 1/2 lemon
rice for serving
Instructions:
Make sure lamb is trimmed of thick fat and silverskin (the tough, shiny connective tissue), and sprinkle it liberally with salt and pepper. Heat a large saucepan or Dutch oven, and brown the meat lightly on all sides. You probably want to do this in batches so as not to crowd the meat. Remove pieces to a plate as they brown. Once you’ve finished browning, turn down heat and pour off oil.
Add butter, onions, ginger, cinnamon, and saffron and sauté them, stirring occasionally and scraping up any brown bits from the bottom, for about five minutes. Stir meat back into the pot and pour in just enough water to cover the meat. This is important—add too much water, and the delicate flavors will get diluted. Bring stew back up to a simmer, cover, and cook at a low temperature until meat is tender, about 1 1/2 hours.
Meanwhile, wash the quinces, rubbing any fuzz off their skins. Cut each quince into eight wedges and cut away the pithy cores. Do not peel, as the skin adds flavor and body to the stew. Put the wedges into lightly acidulated water (lemon juice or cider vinegar added) to keep them from turning brown. When the lamb is tender, add quinces, honey, and lemon juice, and simmer for another 20-30 minutes, until the quince wedges are tender but not mushy. Taste stew and add salt if needed. Serve over basmati rice or pearl couscous.