Friday, January 27, 2017

Turkish Beef Stew with Quince & Sultanas





This is an old Turkish recipe that dates back to the Ottoman Empire. Quince, prunes or dried apricots were commonly used in lamb and beef stews. Quince is an ancient fruit that grows across Turkey. It's not an easy fruit to eat when raw. It also has an extremely tough flesh, which is difficult to cut up and swallow. But If you leave a quince on a sunny windowsill it will slowly release its delicate fragrances of vanilla, citrus, and apple all over your house. And if you cook it, those scents blossom into a magnificent perfume in your dishes whether its a stew or a dessert. The fruit turns its colour from yellow white to a light rose when it is cooked. Such a magical fruit.






Ingredients
2kg Quality beef chuck or rump, cut into 6cm pieces
3 quinces
4 medium onions
4 cloves garlic
1/2cup sultanas
2tbs tomato puree
3-4 green peppers
1-2 red peppers
3 tbsolive oil
1,5 glass red wine
1 cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon turmeric
2 bay leaf
 water
salt&pepper




Peel and chop the onions, then peel and slice the garlic. 

Peel, core and slice the quinces in cubes .Put them in a bowl of cold water with lemon juice.

Heat 3 tablespoons of oil over a medium heat in a large saucepan and sauté the onion and garlic until soft.

Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside, then add the beef and sauté for 5 minutes until all sides are seared add sultanas and the quince & stir for 5 minutes. 

Return the onions and garlic .Deglaze with red wine. Add the tomato purée, peppers, cinnamon, bay leaf, allspice, turmeric and enough water to just cover. (+1 cm )

Season and stir well, bring to the boil then simmer for at least 45 min -1 hour. 

Serve with pilav-rice or mashed potatoes.




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