Kibbeh Balls with Quince in a Fresh Pomegranate Sauce

KIBBEH SFARJALIYEH

SYRIA

Here is a typical autumn kibbeh variation with a very delicate sweet-sour flavor. This kibbeh dish is more like a thick soup than a stew and needs to be served in soup plates. And because quince are still totally seasonal, you cannot prepare this kibbeh unless quince are in season. You can easily freeze pomegranate juice with hardly any loss of flavor, but quince will go too soft if frozen, so plan on making it as soon as the fruit come into season. Again, it is a little time-consuming but worth the effort for its unusual, delicate flavor.

SERVES 4 TO 6

FOR THE SAUCE

Seeds from 2¼ pounds (1 kg) sweet-sour pomegranates

¼ cup (50 g) raw cane sugar

3 pounds 5 ounces (1.5 kg) quince, cored, peeled, and cut into wedges

FOR THE KIBBEH BALLS

1½ sticks plus 2 tablespoons (200 g) very cold unsalted butter, cut into ¾-inch (2 cm) cubes

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground allspice

Raw kibbeh mixture from Kibbeh in Sumac Sauce

TO FINISH

9 ounces (250 g) lamb meat from the shanks

5 green cardamom pods

1 cinnamon stick

5 black peppercorns

1 medium onion (5 ounces/150 g), peeled and studded with 4 cloves

Sea salt

1. To make the sauce: Put the pomegranate seeds in a food processor and process until the seeds are completely pulverized, then strain the juice pressing on the pulp to extract as much as you can.

2. Put the sugar and ½ cup (125 ml) water in a large pot. Add the quince and place over medium heat. Cover and cook for 15 minutes, shaking the pan every now and then to coat the quince in the syrup. Add the pomegranate juice, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer for 1 hour, or until the quince is tender. By then, it should have turned a beautiful pink color.

3. To make the kibbeh balls: Put the butter cubes in a bowl, add the cinnamon and allspice, and gently toss to evenly coat the butter with the spices. Prepare a bowl of lightly salted cold water and have it at hand.

4. Divide the kibbeh into 20 equal portions and roll each into a ball the size of a walnut. Lightly moisten your hands in the salted water and place one kibbeh ball in the palm of one hand. With the index finger of your other hand burrow a hole into the kibbeh ball while rotating it—this makes the hollowing out easier and more even—taking care not to pierce the bottom or sides of the kibbeh shell.

5. Place a cube of seasoned butter into the kibbeh shell and seal the meat around the butter. Gently roll the kibbeh to create a round ball a little smaller than a Ping-Pong ball. Finish making the kibbeh balls and refrigerate or put in the freezer to firm them up.

6. To finish: Put the lamb in a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil over medium heat, skimming the froth from the surface as the water is coming to the boil. Add the spices, onion, and salt to taste. Reduce to a simmer, cover the pan, and let bubble for 1 hour, or until the meat is tender. Reserving the broth, drain the meat. Discard the spices and onion.

7. Put the cooked lamb in a clean pot. Add the strained broth and the cooked quince and their juices, and set over medium-low heat. When the broth starts bubbling, gently drop in the kibbeh balls and taste the broth, adding a little more sugar if it is too sour. Adjust the salt, if necessary, and let bubble gently for 5 minutes, or until the kibbeh balls are just done. Serve very hot in soup plates, making sure each diner gets equal amounts of lamb, quince, and kibbeh.

NOTE: Sweet-sour or sour pomegranates, which are known as Abu-Leffan in Arabic, are juiced and their juice is boiled down to make pomegranate syrup (or molasses) or used fresh in cooking as in the recipe above to add an intriguing sweet-savory flavor.