Braised hogget with quince and spice

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 kg hogget, cut into chunks and trimmed of fat
• 1 tbsp coriander seed
• 4–5 small dried chillies
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 piece cassia bark, or use a cinnamon quill
• 1 medium red onion, peeled and chopped
• 1 small bulb garlic, no need to peel
• 1 kg quince, cored and cut into wedges

Instructions

Heat the oil in a large, heavy-based pan over a high flame and fry the hogget to brown, probably in two batches. While it browns, grind the coriander and chilli with the salt in a mortar. You could use pre-ground spices, but they’re nowhere near as good. When the meat has browned, remove with a slotted spoon and keep to one side.

Drain off most of the fat, turn the heat right down, and then fry the onion with a pinch more salt, with the lid on, until it’s soft. Add the spices and fry, stirring constantly, over a low heat, for just a minute. Toss in the garlic and add the meat back to the pan with the quince.

Pour in enough water to come about 2 cm from the top of the meat and put the lid on. Bring to the boil and then cook, preferably in a low oven, for 2 hours or until tender. Remove the lid and cook another 20 or so minutes to let the sauce reduce a bit and the top of the meat brown. Skim the fat off and serve with rice and fresh wilted silverbeet.