A winning combination of meat, fruit and greens. The spice marinade for the lamb is optional, but it does give the whole dish a lovely exotic undertone. Quinces are not easy to find in the shops, though they are easy to grow. Apples or pears make an easy straight swap.
Serves 2
500g lamb leg steak, sliced 1.5–2cm thick, trimmed
1 large quince (about 400g), well washed
2 tablespoons runny honey
Juice of 1 lemon
A sprig of rosemary (optional)
300g curly kale or cavolo nero, tough stems removed, leaves roughly shredded
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the marinade (optional)
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
Finely grated zest of 1 orange
A good pinch of dried chilli flakes
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
For the marinade, if using, toast the coriander and cumin seeds in a small dry frying pan over a medium heat for a few minutes until fragrant. Tip into a mortar and allow to cool, then grind with the pestle to a rough powder. Mix with the orange zest, chilli flakes and olive oil in a large bowl. Add the lamb and rub well with the spice mix. Cover and leave to marinate in the fridge for 2–4 hours, turning once or twice.
Quarter and core the quince, then halve each quarter. Put into a small pan with the honey, lemon juice, rosemary, if using, and enough water to just cover. Bring to a simmer, partially cover and poach gently until tender – anywhere from 10–45 minutes, so keep checking. Remove the quince with a slotted spoon, let cool, then add to the marinade with the lamb, if using, turning to coat.
Bring a pan of salted water to the boil, add the kale and simmer for 4–5 minutes, until tender. Drain well and keep hot in the pan.
Heat a cast-iron griddle pan or heavy frying pan over a high heat. Season the lamb with salt and pepper and fry for 2–3 minutes on each side until well coloured (it will still be pink inside). Transfer to a warm plate to rest for 5 minutes while you griddle or fry the quince segments on both sides until starting to caramelise.
Thinly slice the lamb and arrange on warm plates with the quince. Add 2–3 tablespoons of the quince poaching liquid to the frying pan and let it bubble over a medium heat, stirring to deglaze. Pour these pan juices over the kale and toss well. Add to the plates, sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve immediately.
SWAPS If you can’t get quince, use slices of slightly under-ripe pear or a crisp, tart dessert apple instead. There is no need to precook – just add the fruit to the marinade. Deglaze the frying pan with a splash of wine or water.