Serves 2
Ingredients
- pared zest of ½ lemon
- 8 black peppercorns
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds (optional)
- 2 thyme sprigs
- 75g (2½oz) sugar
- 2 tablespoons runny honey
- 2 quinces, peeled, quartered and cored
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 75g (2½oz) unsmoked bacon lardons
- 2 pheasant or guinea fowl breasts (about 150g/5½oz each)
- 1 knob of butter
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
First, make a fragrant syrup. Place the lemon zest, peppercorns, bay leaves, fennel seeds (if using), thyme sprigs, sugar, honey and 300ml (10½fl oz) water in a medium pan. Place the pan over a medium heat and bring up to a gentle simmer.
Cut each quince quarter into 2 or 3 more evenly sized wedges. Place the wedges into the simmering syrup and cook very gently for 25–45 minutes, until the wedges are tender. (The cooking time can vary from quince to quince.) When the quince are ready, remove from the heat, then use a slotted spoon to take them out of the pan and set aside.
Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the lardons and fry, stirring regularly, for 4–6 minutes, or until the lardons are beginning to colour a little. Season the pheasant or guinea fowl breasts with salt and pepper and add them to the pan together with the cooked quince. Cook the breasts for 2–3 minutes on each side, or until golden brown and cooked to your liking, and until the quince wedges are lightly caramelized. Remove the pan from the heat, then remove the breasts from the pan and set aside to rest.
Divide the lardons and quince wedges equally between two warmed plates. Then place the frying pan over a high heat and add 100ml (3½fl oz) of the fragrant syrup (save the rest to use as a fruit syrup). Reduce this by half, take the pan off the heat and stir in the butter until melted; season to taste. Cut each breast into thick slices and divide it equally between the two plates, arranging it next to the quince. Spoon over the syrup and serve straight away.
