For example, I made an apple reduction with shallots, mustard seeds, apple juice, apple slices, and bay leaves that I paired with Halibut, roasted Strawberry Tomatoes, and beurre monte poached Yukon Gold Potatoes. You can ask Lauren, it came out amazing. Very simple flavors and combinations. The apple reduction came out silky and full of flavor but it didn't take away from the delicate fish or mask the flavors of the other ingredients.
The great thing about experimenting with apples is that there are over 7,500 different varieties of apples. You could try one, every day of the year and it would take you over twenty years to go through every variety. We all know the Red Delicious (which I don't find that delicious. It's far too tannic for my taste), Golden Delicious, Fuji, Honeycrisp, New Zealand Cripps Pink, Pink Lady, and Ambrosia. What about the Arkansas Black Apple, Api Etoile, Apricot Apple, Ashmead's Kernel, Orange Sweet, or the Zabergau Reinette Apple? There are endless applications and flavor combinations and it's all based on the type of apple that you're using.
Pork is a great dish to pair with apples but would you use an apple that is sweet and soft or flat and dense. One is better for roasting than the other and some have such a pronounced flavor that you could take away from the main course. What about baking? Granny Smith's are commonly used since they are a little tougher and the sourness helps cut the butter and sugar in the recipe but you can still use a New Zealand Cripps to make that pie. You just have to know how to treat the apple so it doesn't turn to apple sauce before you're done baking.
Here are a few pairings that I've either had or made in the past:
Fuji Apple Reduction with Halibut
Caramelized Ambrosia Coffee Cake
Falstaff Apple Gratin with a Semolina Cake
Honeycrisp & Fig Tart with Tarragon Mascarpone Custard
Ginger Gold Apple Sorbet
Golden Delicious Apple & Orange Confit
Butternut Squash & Pink Lady Apple Soup with Citrus Cream
We're coming up on the perfect time of year to get out there and hunt down some interesting varieties of apples. I know that every time I find new apples, I buy a few to try. Some will not interest you but at least you tried it.
The great thing about experimenting with apples is that there are over 7,500 different varieties of apples. You could try one, every day of the year and it would take you over twenty years to go through every variety. We all know the Red Delicious (which I don't find that delicious. It's far too tannic for my taste), Golden Delicious, Fuji, Honeycrisp, New Zealand Cripps Pink, Pink Lady, and Ambrosia. What about the Arkansas Black Apple, Api Etoile, Apricot Apple, Ashmead's Kernel, Orange Sweet, or the Zabergau Reinette Apple? There are endless applications and flavor combinations and it's all based on the type of apple that you're using.
Pork is a great dish to pair with apples but would you use an apple that is sweet and soft or flat and dense. One is better for roasting than the other and some have such a pronounced flavor that you could take away from the main course. What about baking? Granny Smith's are commonly used since they are a little tougher and the sourness helps cut the butter and sugar in the recipe but you can still use a New Zealand Cripps to make that pie. You just have to know how to treat the apple so it doesn't turn to apple sauce before you're done baking.
Here are a few pairings that I've either had or made in the past:
Fuji Apple Reduction with Halibut
Caramelized Ambrosia Coffee Cake
Falstaff Apple Gratin with a Semolina Cake
Honeycrisp & Fig Tart with Tarragon Mascarpone Custard
Ginger Gold Apple Sorbet
Golden Delicious Apple & Orange Confit
Butternut Squash & Pink Lady Apple Soup with Citrus Cream
We're coming up on the perfect time of year to get out there and hunt down some interesting varieties of apples. I know that every time I find new apples, I buy a few to try. Some will not interest you but at least you tried it.
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