Wednesday, October 14, 2009

STUFFED QUINCES - COINGS FARCIS

Lately, I have been delving into the world of Turkish as well as Middle Eastern food and have developped an immense passion for that delightful Mediterranean cuisine. That is why, today, I will grace the pages of this blog with a wonderful seasonal recipe that I have found in famous Egypto-English book author/culinary journalist Claudia Roden's "Arabesque: A Taste of Turkey, Morocco and Lebanon" (a book that does not disappoint)...

"Stuffed Quinces" or "Ayva Dolmasi" is a very scented and refined dish that is typically Turkish, but which can also be widely found in Persia as well as Georgia.

This Middle Eastern
speciality is totally irresistible. In my opinion, there's no better way to celebrate autumn than by cooking a savory, spicy and totally original quince recipe which will fulfill your cravings for sweet and sour combinations. And what a fabulous and totally unique approach to preparing that lovely scented fruit. A perfect ode to fall!

Although this dish contains so few ingredients, you mi
ght be tempted to add another spice (garlic for example) or play a little around, but for godsake's don't! You would ruin the flavors of this dish which are very delicate, yet very complex and so well-balanced. "Ayva Dolmasi" doesn't lack character or taste and is
highly satifying gustatively speaking.

The quince pulp gives an ambrosial sweetness to the meat filling while the quince shells deliver a suprising tangy sharpness that contrasts luciously with the mellow roundness of the meat as well as the round and nutty taste of the pine nuts. There is no dissonance in this dish, only voluptuous aromas...

You will see, it is impossible to not fall in love with that fine example of the harmonious cuisine from Turkey"!

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With this Turkish recipe, I have decided to participate to Tobias'
(at Tobias Cooks) "Mediterranean Cooking Event" in order to share my love for that cusine and maybe get the chance to win a great cookbook... So I hope you'll enjoy it as much as I did!

~ Stuffed Quinces or Ayva Dolmasi ~
Taken from
Claudia Roden's "Arabesque: A Taste of Turkey, Morocco and Lebanon" and slightly adapted by Rosa @ Rosa's Yummy Yums.

Serves 4.

Ingredients:
2 Large quinces (450g each)
1 Medium Onion, chopped
1 1/2 Tbs Olive oil
4 Tbs Pine nuts
240g Ground lamb or beef
1 Tsp Ground cinnamon
1/2 Tsp Ground allspice
Sea salt and pepper, to taste

Method:
1. Wash the quinces and rub off the light down that covers their skin in patches.
2. Put the quinces on a baking sheet and bake in an oven preheated to 170° C (325° F) for 1 to 2 hours, until they feel soft when you press them.

3. For the stuffing, fry the onion in the oil until soft and translucent.
4. Add the pine nuts and stir, turning them over, until golden.

5. Put the ground meat in a bowl with the spices, and work them to a paste with your hands. 6. Add the onions and pine nuts and work them into the paste.
7. When the quinces are cool enough to handle, cut the quinces in half lengthwise and remove the cores and discard them.
8.
Then scoop out about one third of the pulp, chop it, and add it to the meat mixture.
9. Divide the meat between the four quince halves and press it into the quinces.
10. Return the stuffed quinces to
the baking sheet and bake for half an hour at 180° C (350° F).
11. Serve with the accompaniment of your choice.

Remarks:
I used beef, but lamb would surely be tastier.

Serving suggestions:
Serve hot with rice pilaf, rice with chickpeas or bread and yoghurt.

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~ Coings Farcis A La Turque ou Ayva Dolmasi ~
Recette tirée du livre
"Arabesque: A Taste of Turkey, Morocco and Lebanon" de Claudia Roden et adaptée par Rosa @ Rosa's Yummy Yums.

Pour 4 personnes.

Ingrédients:
2 Gros coings (450g chacuns)
1 Oignon moyen, haché
1 1/2 CS d'Huile d'olive
4 CS de Pignons
240g de Viande de boeuf ou d'agneau hachée
1 CC de Cannelle en poudre
1/2 CC de Tout-épices (poivre de la Jamaïque)
Sel de mer et poivre, à volonté

Méthode:
1. Laver les coings en s'assurant de bien enlever le duvet qui les recouvre.
2. Mettre les coings sur une plaque de cuisson (recouverte de papier sulfurisé) et les cuire pendant 1 à 2 heures dans le four préchauffé à 170° C, jusqu'à ce qu'ils soient mous au toucher.
3. Pour la garniture, faire revenir les oignons dans l'huile afin qu'ils soient transparents et tendres.
4. Ajouter les pignons et bien remuer jusqu'à ce qu'ils so
ient dorés.

5. Mettre la viande hachée dans un bol avec toutes les épices et pétrir cette masse à l'aide de vos mains.
6. Ajouter les oignons et les pignons. Bien les incorporer dan
s la masse.
7. Quand les coings sont manipulable (tièdes), coupez-les en deux et retirez les pépins ainsi que les queues.
8. Prélever une petite partie de chair que vous hacherez et incorporerez à la viande hachée.
9. Diviser la garniture en 4 portions égales et farcir les coings.
10. Mettre les coings farcis au four et les cuire pendant 30 m
inutes à 180° C.
11. Servir avec l'accompagnement de votre choix.

Remarques:
J'ai utilisé de la viande de boeuf, mais je suis sûre que ce plat serait encore plus goûteux avec de la viande d'agneau.

Idées de présentation:
Servir soit avec du riz pilaf, du riz aux pois chiches ou du pain arabe et du yaourt.

87 comments:

  1. i do love turkish food as well. lovely use of quince.

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  2. I've never had a quince, but I'd love to try yours! It looks delicious.

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  3. Sounds heavenly! I went through a phase about a year ago when I couldn't cook enough dishes with quince. They are such a magical fruit! This looks divine.

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  4. That looks delicious. I had never heard of quinces until now, but by the looks of it I might have to try this!

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  5. this looks great never eaten quince before

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  6. This sounds like a lovely mix of sweet, savory, and lots of delicious spices!

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  7. Lovely picture and recipe! I must get Claudia Roden's book.

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  8. I love, I adore quinces! Must try them this way... Thanks for the recipe.
    Saludos,
    Marcela

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  9. I even haven't tried this Turkish recipe:) Thank you for sharing.
    Iffet

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  10. Rosa, I like that book too, I'll look into it. It looks delicious Rosa. I just need to find out where I can get fresh quince.

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  11. ive never tried quince before!! this sound great!! i shud giv a try this weekend! have a great weekend ros!
    cheers!

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  12. What a delectable offering you have presented Rosa. I am especially fond of middle eastern cuisine and often refer to a vintage book I have by Claudia Roden titled A Book of Middle Eastern Food.

    Good Luck with the event, you're sure to WIN in my book!!!

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  13. Rhoo ça fait des lustres que je n'ai pas mangé ce plat ! Ma tante nous en préparait lorsque nous allions la voir en Turquie.
    Avec de l'agneau c'est délicieux ;)

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  14. I just tried quince for the first time!It is delicious! I hadn't even thought of savory recipes yet, this is beautiful!

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  15. What a delightful specialty, I would love to try it, excellent combination of flavors!

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  16. Rosa I love quinces!! I have a tree, and I love qince jam, but I love your recipe look fantastic and yummy!! gloria

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  17. Quince and lamb, a truly inspired combination. Looks delicious! Thanks a lot for participating my event. I appreciate it a lot.

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  18. En voilà une idée originale et appétissante qui change de la traditionnelle gelée de coing!!!

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  19. how interesting. i don't think i've ever tried a quince before.

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  20. certainly will be more delicious with lamb! :) Served with rice also agree to the idea of!

    ps: In the meantime send me the address right? At the end of this month I'll send your gift:)(I am sorry I know has much longer :( )

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  21. oh my this looks great. i bought a few quinces today but am going the sweet route with them!

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  22. Si seulement je trouvais des coings à Munich... Très jolie recette, originale et parfumée qui donne envie de voyager!

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  23. What a nice blog and awesome pictures! I'd like to try everything here! :)))

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  24. This looks like a great idea! We don't get quinces around here, though!

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  25. We have quinces here but never knew how to prepare them ... going to try this recipe out; looks awesome.

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  26. That looks and sounds wonderful! I also have been trying Turkish recipes but I prepare them when my husband isn't around. He's really not into Turkish cuisine.

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  27. That sounds very delicious and unusual! I love the combination and your photos are gorgeous as always...

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  28. I've never tried quinces before but this looks amazing. I just love how you make us discover different cultures and ingredients. Fabulous photos as always.

    Take care,

    Vanessa

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  29. Miam! Quinces in savoury dishes, what a original and tasty idea! I should try them out!

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  30. I am so into mediterranean food.. Love everything about it, the simplicity, the spices & the richness of flavors. This is a beautiful recipe.

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  31. Claudia Roden's recipes are fantastic aren't they? Must keep this quince dish up my sleeve for when autumn rolls around again...beautifully done Rosa.

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  32. This is unusual to me but it looks really good. Love the pics.

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  33. Je ne connais pas mais ce mélange de saveurs me plaît:)xxx

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  34. I had some of the best food on the streets of turkey! love all the flavors!

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  35. Never had quince before. Looks delicious!

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  36. Wow, I have never had quinces before! This looks like a very sweet and rich dessert! I have been wanting to get Arabesque for a while - looks like a delicious and beautiful book!

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  37. encore une recette tres originale et qui me surprend ..je suis curieuse de savoir le goût que cela peut avoir

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  38. j'ai ramassé 5/6 kilos de coings ce weekend, il ne me reste plus qu'à faire la gelée !!!
    je ne pense jamais trop à faire autre chose avec mes coings sinon, une tatin, un gateau, de la compote ....... ou un tajine !!!!

    bonne journée gourmande à toi
    virginie

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  39. Quitten, einmal nicht süss. Toll was man bei events alles sieht !

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  40. I bet this dish gives you the feeling of flying on a carpet through gorgeous fragrances. Delicious!

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  41. I can't wait for quinces to arrive in my fruit/veg box ... so many gorgeous recipes to try.

    Rosa these look fabulous.

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  42. How pleased I am that you are into Turkish cuisine - I love Middle eastern food so am looking forward to your Turkish cuisine postings. Quinces look delicious.

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  43. ..une découverte pour moi..tu me fais goûter??..

    ..bo jeudi à toi chère Copinaute en or;)

    ~nancy xx

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  44. What a fascinating dish!
    I have this book on my wishlist too - and I have never tried quinces before. We just don't seem to see them here in suburban Canada.

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  45. i've never had quince, but i'll be disappointed if my first meeting with it is anything less than what you've created here. what a glorious concoction, rosa--easy on the eyes and surely tasty too!

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  46. Very unusual, but so pretty! I gotta plan a trip to Turkey .. I have a feeling the food there will blow me away!

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  47. Wow...that's an new recipe to me...looks yum....love those cat pics...

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  48. Wow, what an original quince recipe. I can see why you're enthusiastic!

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  49. Etrange, inhabituel, mais drolement tentant.

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  50. C'est une recette interessante mais C'est difficile de touver des coings ici en Floride.

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  51. This looks wonderful, Rosa. I have never cooked with quince and would love to try. Love the pine nuts in there.

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  52. Très original et tentant!
    J'aime beaucoup ce livre.
    Cela nous change de la confiture de coings:))

    Bonne journée!

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  53. I've never had quince, but I saw them the other day for the first time in my grocery store. I'll have to pick some up!

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  54. What wonderful recipes! They look perfect for autumn.

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  55. That looks great! I don't use quinces much at all, thanks for the recipe though, it sounds very tasty.

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  56. Love this. I need to wait for our autumn to try it.

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  57. Bonsoir Rosa! Cette recette me plaît beaucoup, je la découvre! Je ne savais pas qu'on pouvait cuisiner les coings aussi de cette manière! Huummm! cela doit être un délice!

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  58. Lovely! It's quince season here so this is great :)

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  59. Savory stuffed quinces are a great alternative to stuffed winter squash. Great recipe!

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  60. Well... hum. All I need is for quinces to be available around my place; when hell freezes over!

    Very nice Rosa!

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  61. I love the pine nuts strewn over the top. It's the crowning touch to such a creative quince dish.

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  62. I love Middle Eastern food. This is something I'd love to taste!

    Paz

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  63. I love quince. This sounds fantastic.

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  64. Hi Rosa, I am first time here and just fell in love with your cooking skills and ur photography skills, I can learn so much from you dear.Pardon my ignorance but what are Quinces?
    I am following you, would love if you could drop by sometime.

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  65. Tu sais que j'apprécie les fruits dans les plats salés. Le coing en plus, je manque cruellement d'idées. Belle découverte. Je repars avec un tranche de St Nectaire.
    Bises

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  66. this is beautiful rosa!! i love it!

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  67. Rosa, you are such a good scout ! I love all the recipe you find and this is absolutely wonderful !!!

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  68. Never used quince in my cooking, would love to try it too. Your farcies are lovely. Want a bite already.

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  69. I write down this one and keep it for next fall ! ;)
    Looks really tasty !

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  70. I love Claudia Roden's recipes (as you know) and this one is amazing! I love the blend of ingredients and often make something similar, adding raisins or prunes for the sweetness. Fabulous having the sweetness as the casing! Incredible and beautiful to look at!

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  71. ça c'est une recette originale , il faut que je la retienne pour les fêtes de l'année prochaine , à moins que je trouve encore des coings.
    bravo encore
    bises et bon week end

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  72. Rosa, I don't think there is ever anything you make that doesn't make me salivate and want to try it. I love Morrocan food, and now I know one thing I'm making for sure with the leftover turkey come Thanksgivimg! Beautiful photos too..as always :)

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  73. oops, I didn't see it was a Turkish dish, but I do mean I want to make it using leftover minced turkey :) I'm already collecting recipes for my leftover bird and it doesn't evem exist yet..lol

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  74. wonderful way of using quinces, i only eat them the spanish way, quince paste, thanks for this! it really looks so delicious! cheers!

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  75. Looks absolutely delicious ...
    Laila .. http://lailablogs.com

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  76. oh la la , je n'aurais jamais pensé retrouver ce plat, voilà qui me laisse aller à de jolis souvenirs de voyage !!Merci

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  77. très original et cela change du tajine d'agneau aux coings.

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  78. oh my!!! this sound terrific!! yummmmm

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  79. Look so delicious , it's one of my favorite dishes & so healthy too .. love it :D
    Beautiful photos :)

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  80. I love quinces for both sweet and savory dishes, nicely done!

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  81. Je trouve ces photos et ces images trop tentantes.
    il va fallir que je décide ma petite famille à manger des coings autrement qu'en gelée.
    Ce n'est pas gagné!

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  82. Great use of quince. I can smell the spices from here!

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