Today Post::Lamb stew with quince and lentils

Meat stew with fruit- Belgians mostly substitute the fruit with beer. Take 2 of meat stew for me, with quince and lentils. For fruit and meat combinations, my Virgil is Claudia Roden. Khoreshte beh, a Persian dish to be eaten with rice, from her Book of Jewish Food. The paleness of the picture stems from the grey morning light- due to an agenda, I had this dish for breakfast. Meat stew always tastes better the next day.

Lamb stew with quince and lentils (Claudia Roden’s Khoreshte beh)

Serves 6

2 big onions, coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons oil
1 kg meat: lamb or beef or calf’s shoulder, in 1”/2,5 cm pieces
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
pepper, salt
100 g yellow split peas, soaked for one hour (or lentils, and follow instructions)
2 big ripened quince, washed, without core and cut into thick slices (with or without peel)
4 tablespoons lemon juice
1 1/2-2 tablespoons sugar to taste (*)

Fry the onions until tender, add the meat, and brown it on all sides. Add hot water, until the meat is submerged, add the spices, pepper, salt, and stew for one hour.

Add the split peas and the quince, and if necessary some water. Stew for 30 minutes longer. In the last 15 minutes, add the lemon juice and the sugar.

* Note: I did add some sugar - always less, stingily, a sprinkle- as my quince weren’t excessively ripe, but ripe fruit should have enough sugar by itself.