Quince Stew

This sky where we live is no place to lose your wings

So love, love, love.

                                                                                   -Hafez

Quince stew is a stew on a league of its own. As a HUGE lover of sweet meat dishes, one must appreciate the unique taste it truly sates. Its rich, sweet with a hint of tang and the beautiful deep pink color the quince turns into as a result of cooking it in a copper pot is visually arresting. I love the end result of the flecks of bright green pistachio against the melt in your mouth dusty rose quince. This dish is best served on special occasions, or for those days when you want to tell someone that you really really love them.

Recipe:

3 to 4 quince cut into large chunks
1/2 kilo lamb shoulder cut into cubes or chicken pieces preferably breast (cut into 3) and drumstick skin removed.
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon turmeric
Salt
Pepper
1/2 cup lemon juice
2 medium onions chopped half slivers
2-3 tablespoons cooking oil
Pistachio slices to garnish


Cooking tool:

Copper Pot

Method:

In a copper pot add the quince, 1/2 cup water and sugar and cook for 2 hours on very low heat until the quince turns into a dark pink color. While the quince is stewing, in another pot add the cooking oil and saute the onions adding the chicken or meat seasoning with all the spices and 1/2 cup water and allow to cook on low heat for 2 hours. Once everything is cooking decant the chicken or meat mixture in the stewed quince adding the lemon juice and cook for a further ten minutes. Garnish with pistachio slivers and serve with white rice.