The Quince

This lumpy fruit has a delicious perfume that is reminiscent of apples and pears. But unlike apples and pears, the quince must be cooked. If it isn't, the super tart flavor will make your mouth pucker!



Because it is naturally full of pectin, quince lends itself perfectly to making jams and compotes.
But this is a versatile fruit, so for this week's Weekend Herb Blogging, hosted by Ulrike at Küchenlatein, I cooked up an aromatic, cinnamon-y, mildly spicy Chicken Stew with Quince.




Moroccan Chicken and Quince Stew

serves 6

2 quinces, peeled, cored and thickly sliced
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
1 (3 and 1/2 pounds) fresh whole chicken, cut up
3 Tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1 can (14.5-ounces.) whole Italian tomatoes, crushed with their juice
1/2 cup water
1 cinnamon stick
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

Place quince slices in a small bowl with a little water and lemon juice and set aside.
Mix together flour, salt, pepper and optional cayenne pepper in a dish and lightly dredge chicken in flour mixture until evenly coated.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.
When hot, add oil, and brown chicken on all sides.
Remove from pan and set aside.
Drain quince, and pat dry with a paper towel and sauté quince in skillet until brown on both sides.
Lift out with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Add remaining olive oil and cook onion and garlic until softened but not browned.
Return chicken to pan and stir in tomatoes.
Break cinnamon stick in half and add to pan with the water.
Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat, and simmer gently for 20 minutes.
Add reserved quince and cook for about 20 more minutes, until chicken is fully cooked through.
Stir in the mint.
Remove cinnamon before serving.

Serve with rice or couscous to soak up the delicious juices.