Stuffed quinces with lamb and vegetables, Kokander style

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 4 quinces
• 200 g lean lamb
• 100 g fat (Kurdjuk – sheep fat tail, alternatively fatty bacon)
• 500 g lamb, rib piece
• 4 potatoes
• 4 carrots
• 2 turnips (repa), alternatively kohlrabi
• 3 red bell peppers
• 2 chili peppers
• cumin
• salt and pepper
• 8 sprigs of dill
• 8 sprigs of coriander
• 8 sprigs of parsley

Instructions

Working time approx. 1 hour; Rest time approx. 30 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 2 hours; Total time approx. 3 hours 30 minutes

a recipe from the Uzbek Ferghana Valley

First, rub the lamb ribs with salt and cumin and place them fat-side down in a tightly fitting pot. Layer potato slices, beet slices, carrot strips, and bell pepper strips on top. Add two or more chilies, depending on the desired spiciness. Next, cut the lean lamb and fat into the smallest possible cubes (approx. 3 mm), mix, season generously with cumin, salt, and pepper, and let it rest in the refrigerator for half an hour. Halve the quinces and remove the cores. Fill the openings with the meat mixture and place the quince halves on top of the vegetable layers. Top each quince half with three different herb sprigs. Cover the pot tightly and let it sizzle on the stovetop at medium heat for thirty minutes. During this time, the lamb fat will roast from the ribs and the vegetables will release their liquid. Then let it simmer for another hour and a half at the lowest possible temperature. Be careful, though, as the dish tends to burn because the vegetables don’t always release enough liquid. To some extent, this is even intentional, as the resulting crust is delicious. If it starts to burn too much, add a little water and immediately close the lid.