WWhen it comes to wine, most of us are happy to use adjectives to describe the difference between one squeezed grape juice and another. However, when it comes to apples, we usually don’t go beyond “tangy” or “sweet”. What is our loss, and the gap between the number of apple varieties grown in the UK (i.e. lots – around 2,000 or so) and how many we are likely to get and eat (i.e. not much – about five or six max). Apples can be all kinds of things beyond acidity and sweetness: they can be nutty, or have hints of pineapple, anise, or strawberry; they can be fine or coarse in texture; and they can retain their shape when cooked or collapse into a pulp. If today’s dishes use apples that are easily found in our stores, they also show just how versatile this fruit is: hot apple sauce, apple mustard, apple salad – recipes that I hopefully, call for both to be done and to encourage some more whimsical adjectives.
Sausage sandwiches with apple mustard and apple coleslaw (top photo)
Apple mustard and coleslaw also work with all kinds of other things, so play around with other protein and sandwich toppings. Mustard keeps well in an airtight jar in the refrigerator for up to a week, but coleslaw should be prepared just before serving, so that it does not become soggy.
Preperation 20 mins
to cook 45 minutes
Makes 6
6 pork sausages – whatever type you like
2 tablespoons of olive oil, plus extra for lubrication
6 rolls, warmed up
for the coleslaw
2 tablespoons (25 g) yellow mustard seeds
60 ml rice vinegar
20 ml of water
20g caster sugar
2 pink apples
½ small onion, thinly sliced with a mandolin (80g)
20 ml lemon juice
1⅓-1½ tablespoon (5g) very finely chopped cilantro
1¾ tablespoon (5 g) very finely chopped chives
Sea salt flakes
For the apple mustard
200 g canned apples, drained
2 tablespoons of Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon of English mustard
2 teaspoons of maple syrup
3 tablespoons of mayonnaise
Put the mustard seeds, vinegar, water and sugar in a small saucepan, bring to a boil, then lower the heat to medium and simmer gently for eight minutes. Remove from the heat and let the pickle cool to room temperature.
Meanwhile, put all the apple mustard ingredients in a blender or food processor, smooth gently, then scrape into a clean jar.
Heat the oven to 220 ° C (200 ° C fan) / 425 ° F / gas 7. Rub the sausages with a little oil, place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 25-30 minutes, turning once halfway through cooking, until golden brown. and well done.
Drain the cooled mustard seeds through a sieve, discard the liquid and put the seeds in a large bowl. When serving, cut the unpeeled apples into thin slices to the core, then cut them into matchsticks, add to the bowl with the onion, lemon juice, cilantro, chives, two tablespoons of olive oil and a good pinch of flaked salt, and toss to combine.
Spread some apple mustard in the hot buns, top with hot sausage and apple salad, and serve with the remaining mustard on the side.
Miso apple charlotte
Nothing beats a warm, comforting pudding when the evenings begin to take shape. This version of the classic apple charlotte, a nursery pudding if ever there is one, contains white miso, which adds a welcome savory flavor and depth to sweet, baked apples. Charlottes can be assembled a few hours ahead and stored in the refrigerator until ready to cook – if you do this, add five minutes to the cooking time.
Preperation 40 minutes
to cook 40 minutes
Serves 4
6 small granny smith apples, peeled, seeded and cut into 1 cm cubes (net weight 500 g)
2 tablespoons of lemon juice
1 tablespoon of vanilla bean paste
150g caster sugar
60 g unsalted butter, cut into 2 cm cubes
3½ teaspoons white miso paste
2 tablespoons of sour cream
300g sliced white bread, cut crusts
125 g unsalted butter, melted
1½ tablespoon white sesame seeds
English cream or ice cream, to serve
Place the apples in a medium bowl with the lemon juice and vanilla, mix and set aside.
Heat a 24 cm sauté pan over high heat. Sprinkle with sugar and cook, stirring occasionally, for about five minutes, until a dark amber caramel forms. Off the heat, stir in the butter and miso paste, then return the pan to high heat, add the apples and cook, stirring frequently for about seven minutes, until the fruit is cooked through but retains its shape.
Stir in the cream and remove from the heat. Drain the apples through a colander placed on a pitcher, to collect all the caramel juice, then pour the fruit into a bowl and refrigerate.
Heat oven to 200C (180C fan) / 390F / gas 6. Lightly grease four mini metal pudding molds 7 cm wide with a little melted butter. Brush one side of each slice of bread with the remaining melted butter and, using a 5½ cm round cookie cutter, cut four circles of bread. Cut the rest into strips about 3 cm wide. Distribute the sesame seeds on a small plate, dip the buttered side of the four rounds of bread in the sesame seeds, then place one, sesame seed side down, at the bottom of each mold.
Use the bread strips to line the sides of the molds, leaving an overhang of 2cm and overlapping the strips slightly so that there is no space. Pour in apples to fill, then pull over overhanging bread strips to cover and seal puddings, pinching off excess if necessary.
Place the puddings on a baking sheet and cover with a piece of baking paper. Place another baking sheet on top, pressing down firmly, then bake with the baking sheet still on for 25 minutes.
Carefully turn out the puddings and serve hot with the miso caramel sauce on the side and a little custard or ice cream.
Hot apple sauce with potato pancakes and sour cream
This hot sauce is a wonderful way to use apples when you don’t want to make another pie or crumble. It keeps well in a sterilized bottle or jar in the refrigerator for about three months, and can be sprinkled on just about anything and everything. If you don’t have any bramleys, just use whatever apples you have on hand, although you will need to adjust the acidity levels accordingly. Potato pancakes and chive cream are just an idea to serve with ketchup.
Preperation 20 mins
to cook 55 minutes
Makes 1 jar of 500 ml
For the hot apple sauce
2 Bramley apples, peeled and cored (350g)
200 ml apple juice
150 g red cayenne peppers, coarsely chopped (pith and seeds removed if less heat is preferred)
3 cloves of garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped
15g of fresh ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 cinnamon stick
1 tsp of maple syrup
170 ml apple cider vinegar
Salt and black pepper
For the potato pancakes (for 8, for 4 people), optional
850g baked potatoespeeled
1 tablespoon of cumin seeds, toasted and lightly ground in mortar
60 ml olive oil
For the chive sour cream (for 4 people), optional
300g sour cream
30g chives, coarsely chopped
2 lemons, 1 squeezed, to obtain ½ tablespoon, the other cut into quarters
Put all the ingredients for the hot sauce in a large sauté pan with a lid on it, and add a teaspoon of salt. Place over medium-high heat and cook, covered, for 15 minutes, until the apples and peppers have softened and only a little liquid remains in the pot. Remove the cinnamon stick, then pour the hot apple mixture into a food processor and blend for about five minutes, until smooth. Pass through a sieve placed over a medium bowl and discard any solids left in the sieve. Pour the sauce into a sterilized 500 ml jar or bottle, let cool, then seal and store in the refrigerator.
For the potato pancakes, fill a large saucepan with two quarts of water, add the potatoes and two teaspoons of salt, then bring to a boil, cover and simmer over medium-high heat for 12-15 minutes, until a knife goes through easily but still meets some resistance (potatoes should not be fully cooked). Drain and let cool.
Heat oven to 110C (90C fan) / 225F / ¼ gas. When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, using a grater, coarsely grate them in a large bowl. Add the cumin, three-quarters of a teaspoon of salt and a good grind of pepper, and mix well. The potatoes will be sticky, so put a small bowl of oil back in to make them easier to shape. Divide the potato mixture into eight 75g balls, then, with oiled hands, flatten each about 6cm in diameter.
Put two tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and, when hot, fry the potato patties in batches of two or three for about four minutes, until they are hot. golden underneath, then flip, flatten again with a spatula and cook on the other side. Once cooked, transfer to a baking sheet lined with paper towel and keep warm in the low oven while you cook the other potato patties.
Meanwhile, put 100 g of sour cream in the small bowl of a food processor, add the chives, lemon juice and half a teaspoon of salt, and mix until spotted with green. Pour into a bowl and stir in the remaining sour cream.
To serve, spread the chive sour cream on one side of a plate and drizzle with a little hot sauce on top. Arrange the potato pancakes and lemon wedges on the side, and serve with an extra hot sauce on the side.
