Lamb-stuffed Quince with Pomegranate & Cilantro

I heart quince! Who knew?! I've only ever eaten it as a paste with cheese, so it was an adventure to cook with the fresh fruit. This Ottolenghi recipe is from  Jerusalem and it's delicious! You'll need a couple of unusual ingredients (fresh quince, pomegranate molasses) but it's totally worth it. I tried to hollow out the quince halves but once I saw how firm the fruit was, I opted for dicing it instead. Serve over basmati rice. 


Lamb-stuffed Quince with Pomegranate & Cilantro
serves 4

14 ounces ground lamb
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 red chile, chopped (I used a generous pinch of dried red chile flakes)
2/3 ounce cilantro, chopped, plus 2 tablespoons to garnish
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 teaspoon ground allspice
2 tablespoons finely grated fresh ginger
2 medium onions, finely chopped (to yield 1 1/3 cups)
1 large free-range egg
4 quince (2 3/4 pounds in total)
juice of half a lemon, plus 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 tablespoons olive oil
8 cardamom pods
2 teaspoons pomegranate molasses
2 teaspoons sugar
2 cups chicken stock
seeds of half a pomegranate
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Place lamb in mixing bowl with the garlic, chile, cilantro, bread crumbs, allspice, half the ginger, half the onion, egg, 3/4 teaspoon salt and some pepper. Mix well with your hands and set aside.

Peel the quince and halve them lengthwise. Put them in a bowl of cold water with the juice of 1/2 a lemon so they don't turn brown. use a melon baller or small spoon remove the seeds and then hollow out the quince halves so that you're left with a 2/3-inch shell. Keep the scooped-out flesh. fill the hollows with the lamb mix, using your hands to push it down. (Alternately: dice the quince and set aside. Form the lamb into meatballs.)

Heat olive oil in a large frying pan for which you have a lid. Place the reserved quince flesh in a food processor, blitz to chop well, then transfer mixture to the pan along with the remaining onion, ginger and cardamom pods. Saute for 10 to 12 minutes, until the onion has softened. Add the molasses, the tablespoon of lemon juice, sugar, stock, 1/2 teaspoon salt and some black pepper and mix well.  Add the quince halves to the sauce with the meat stuffing facing upwards (or, just add the lamb meatballs if quince has already been added), lower the heat to a gentle simmer, cover the pan, and cook for about 30 minutes. At the end, the quince should be completely soft, the meat well cooked, and the sauce thick. Lift the lid and simmer for a minute or two to reduce the sauce if needed.

Serve warm or at room temperature, sprinkled with the cilantro and pomegranate seeds.