Quince and Lamb Tagine

Quince: Peel the quince and cut into quarters. Remove the core and place in a saucepan with the honey and cinnamon stick. Add enough water to cover and simmer until tender when pierced with a skewer. This can take up to 40 minutes. The quince will turn a pale pink. Cut each quarter into 3. Heat a little oil and butter in a sauté pan and cook the quince slices until golden on both sides.

Preheat the oven to 160°C.

Lamb: Heat the oil in a large oven-proof sauté pan or saucepan and cook the onions and the garlic slowly until tender. Add the salt, ginger, cumin, coriander, paprika, tomato paste and the saffron and cook for 1 minute. Add the cinnamon, bay leaves, water and the honey. Stir to combine then add the lamb. Bring to the boil, cover and cook slowly in the oven for 2 hours or until very tender. Add the quince to the lamb and heat through.

To serve: Stir through the parsley and transfer the meat and juices to a deep serving bowl.
Serve with couscous or a rice pilaf to soak up the sauce.

This tagine is even better made 1-2 days ahead. Spoon off the fat that has set and discard. Reheat, covered, in a 180°C oven until hot, adding the quince 10 minutes before serving.