Apple crumble
This recipe is an all-time favourite of those hankering after the ultimate quick and easy dessert. Serve with nostalgia.
Ingredients
- For the crumble
-
- 300g/10½oz plain flour, sieved pinch of salt
- 175g/6oz unrefined brown sugar
- 200g/7oz unsalted butter, cubed at room temperature
- Knob of butter for greasing
- For the filling
-
- 450g/1lb apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1cm/½in pieces
- 50g/2oz unrefined brown sugar
- 1 tbsp plain flour
- 1 pinch of ground cinnamon
Preparation method
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
- Place the flour and sugar in a large bowl and mix well. Taking a few cubes of butter at a time rub into the flour mixture. Keep rubbing until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
Technique: Rubbing in - Place the fruit in a large bowl and sprinkle over the sugar, flour and cinnamon. Stir well being careful not to break up the fruit.
- Butter a 24cm/9in ovenproof dish. Spoon the fruit mixture into the bottom, then sprinkle the crumble mixture on top.
- Bake in the oven for 40-45 minutes until the crumble is browned and the fruit mixture bubbling.
- Serve with thick cream or custard.
John Dory and scallops with apple chutney
Ingredients
- For the chutney
-
- 110g/4oz caster sugar
- 1 onion, peeled, finely chopped
- 1½tsp grated fresh ginger
- 500g/1lb 2oz Bramley apples, peeled, core removed, chopped
- 75g/3oz sultanas
- 60ml/2½fl oz cider vinegar
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- For the John Dory and scallops
-
- 25g/1oz butter
- 4 John Dory fillets
- 8 small scallops or 6 large scallops halved lengthways, cleaned, roe removed
- To serve
-
- 25g/1oz red amaranth
- 25g/1oz coriander cress
Preparation method
- For the chutney, heat the the sugar in a lidded pan until the sugar melts. Add the onion, ginger, apples, sultanas and vinegar, cover the pan with a lid and cook for 5-6 minutes, or until the apples begin to break down.
- Blend the mixture in a food processor to a purée and season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- For the John Dory and scallops, heat the butter in a large frying pan until foaming and fry the John Dory fillets and scallops for 1-2 minutes on each side, or until cooked to your liking. (You may need to do this in batches.)
- To serve, spoon some apple chutney into the centre of each of four serving plates and top each with a fillet of John Dory. Place the scallops alongside and scatter over the red amaranth and coriander cress.
Roast partridge with spiced apple sauce and walnut sauce
Ingredients
- For the roast partridge
-
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 4 whole oven-ready partridges
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 4 rashers streaky bacon
- 150g/5oz curly kale leaves, roughly chopped
- 50g/2oz unsalted butter
- For the spiced apple sauce
-
- 1kg/2lb 4oz sweet red apples, such as Cox's Orange Pippins, peeled, cores removed, each apple cut into eight wedges
- 500ml/17fl oz dry cider
- 250g/9oz caster sugar (approximate measure: see step 6 below)
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- ¼ tsp mixed spice
- For the walnut sauce
-
- 560ml/1 pint beef stock
- 100ml/3½fl oz walnut oil
- 1 lemon, juice only
- To serve
-
- 100g/3½oz whole walnuts, shells removed
- ½ bunch fresh marjoram, leaves only
- 100ml/3½fl oz rapeseed oil
Preparation method
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
- Heat the olive oil in a very large, ovenproof frying pan over a medium heat. Season the partridges all over, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Lay one slice of streaky bacon over the breast of each partridge.
- When the pan is hot, add the partridges, breast-side down, and fry for 1-2 minutes, or until browned. Continue to turn the partridges, cooking until browned on all sides.
- Transfer the pan to the oven and roast the partridges for a further 10-12 minutes, or until cooked through. (NB: The partridges are cooked through when the juices run clear when the partridges are pierced in the thickest part using a skewer.) Remove from the oven and set aside to rest on a warm plate for five minutes. Reserve the pan and its juices.
- Meanwhile, for the spiced apple sauce, bring the apple wedges and cider to the boil in a large frying pan. Reduce the heat to a simmer and continue to simmer for 12-15 minutes, or until the apple wedges have broken down to the consistency of apple sauce. Strain the softened apple mixture through a fine sieve.
- Weigh the strained apples, then weigh out half of the apple weight of sugar (this procedure will give the correct measurement of one part sugar to two parts apple mixture.)
- Heat the apple mixture, sugar, cinnamon, cloves and mixed spice in a saucepan until all of the moisture has evaporated, about 20 minutes. (NB: The apple mixture is ready when a spoonful of the mixture placed onto a plate does not release any liquid.)
- Meanwhile, for the walnut sauce, bring the beef stock to a simmer over a low heat. Continue to simmer for 6-8 minutes, or until the volume of stock has reduced to 150ml/5fl oz.
- Blend the warm, reduced stock and the walnut oil in a food processor until the mixture is thick and glossy. Squeeze in the lemon juice. Set aside.
- Blanch the kale in a large pan of boiling, salted water for 2-3 minutes. Drain well and refresh in ice cold water. Drain again and set aside.
- Just before serving, heat the butter in the frying pan you used to cook the partridge. Remove the bacon from the partridge breasts and chop into pieces. When the butter is foaming, add the bacon and curly kale, and season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Continue to cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring well, until warmed through.
- To serve, mix together the walnuts, marjoram and rapeseed oil in a bowl until well combined. Set aside.
- Spoon the spiced apple sauce into a piping bag. Dot the plate with small spots of spiced apple sauce. Spoon the kale and bacon mixture into the centre of each of four serving plates. Carve the legs and breast away from the partridges, placing the meat back onto the carcass for presentation. Place each partridge on top of the kale and bacon mixture. Drizzle over the walnut sauce. Spoon the walnut and marjoram dressing around the edge of each plate.
Proper apple pie
This is apple pie like mum used to make, with large pieces of Bramley apple enclosed in rich shortcrust pastry. Douse in cream and get stuck in.
Ingredients
- For the pastry
-
- 255g/9oz plain flour
- pinch of salt
- 140g/5oz hard margarine or butter
- 6 tsp cold water
- For the filling
-
- 3 large Bramley cooking apples, chopped, stewed and cooled
- sugar, to taste
- caster sugar, to serve
Preparation method
- Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
- Sieve the flour and salt into a bowl.
- Rub in the margarine or butter until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
Technique: Rubbing in - Add the cold water to the flour mixture. Using a knife, mix the water into the flour, using your hand to firm up the mixture. The pastry should be of an even colour and suitable consistency for rolling.
- Divide the pastry into two halves. Take one half and roll it out so that it is big enough to cover an 20cm/8in enamel or aluminium plate. Trim the edges with a knife using the edge of the plate as your guide.
- Cover the pastry with the stewed apples and sprinkle with sugar to taste.
- Roll out the other half of the pastry. Moisten the edge of the bottom layer of pastry and place the second piece on top.
- Press down on the pastry edges, making sure that they are properly sealed. Trim off any excess pastry with a knife in a downward motion, again using the plate as your guide.
Technique: Lining a tart tin: trimming the pastry - Flute the edges with a pinching action using your fingers and thumb.
- Prick the surface of the pastry lightly before placing the pie in the oven. Cook for 20-30 minutes.
- When the pie is cooked it should move slightly on the plate when gently shaken.
- Slide on to a serving plate, dust with caster sugar and serve.
Spiced apple chutney
Probably one of the most popular varieties of homemade chutney. Apple chutney has a tangy, sweet flavour which is perfect with cheeses such as cheddar, cheshire or white stilton.
Ingredients
- 225g/8oz onions, chopped
- 900g/2lb apples, cored and chopped
- 110g/4oz sultanas, raisins or chopped dates
- 15g/½oz ground coriander
- 15g/½oz paprika
- 15g/½oz mixed spice
- 15g/½oz salt
- 340g/12oz granulated sugar
- 425ml/¾ pints malt vinegar
Preparation method
- Put all the ingredients into a preserving pan. Slowly bring to the boil until the sugar has dissolved.
- Simmer for 1½-2 hours, stirring from time to time to stop the chutney sticking to the pan.
- When it is very thick and you can draw a wooden spoon across the base of the pan so that it leaves a channel behind it that does not immediately fill with liquid, the chutney is ready.
- Turn into sterilised jars, seal and cool.
- Store in a cool, dark cupboard for two to three months before eating.
Apple chutney
Ingredients
- 3kg/7lb sour apples, peeled, cored and sliced
- 25g/1oz garlic, finely chopped
- 1 litre/2 pint malt vinegar
- 225g/8oz crystallised ginger, chopped
- 1.5kg/3lb brown sugar
- 450g/1lb sultanas
- 1 tsp ground mixed spice
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp salt
Preparation method
- Place the apples in a pan with the garlic and a small amount of water and cook, covered, until soft.
- Add half the vinegar, and all the other ingredients. Bring to the boil, stirring until the sugar has dissolved, then cook, uncovered, until beginning to thicken.
- Add the remaining vinegar and continue cooking until the desired consistency is reached.
- Pour into warmed sterilised jars, cover and label.
Apple and raisin chutney
A fruity chutney which goes well with cold or hot pork and serve with cheeses at the end of a meal.
Ingredients
- 1.8kg/4lb apples, peeled, cored and chopped
- 4 medium onions, peeled and finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
- 1 lemon, juice only
- 1 tbsp mustard seeds
- 900ml/1½ pint vinegar (cider or malt)
- 450g/1lb raisins
- 1 tbsp ground ginger
- 2 tsp salt
- 900g/2lb soft brown sugar
Preparation method
- Bring the apples, onions, garlic, lemon juice, mustard seed and 590ml/1 pint of vinegar to the boil.
- Simmer for 1 hour.
- Add the raisins, ginger, salt, sugar and the rest of the vinegar.
- Simmer until thick.
- Pour into clean, hot jam jars and cover as usual. Store for 6-8 weeks to allow the flavours to develop.
Tomato and apple chutney
Ingredients
- 570ml/1 pint malt vinegar
- 450g/1lb soft brown sugar
- 300g/11oz sultanas
- 2kg/4lb 4oz ripe red tomatoes, cut into 6 or 8 pieces
- 500g/1lb 2oz green apples, peeled and chopped
- 400g/14oz shallots, peeled and roughly chopped
- 4 red chillies, chopped
- 1 tbsp root ginger, finely chopped
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preparation method
- Place the vinegar and sugar in a large saucepan and bring to the boil. Cook for three to four minutes until the sugar has melted.
- Add the sultanas and cook until just reduced.
- Add all the other ingredients, bring to the boil and cook for about 20 to 30 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Leave the chutney with a chunky texture and not too cooked as that will cause it to be a purée.
- Cool the chutney, place into sterilised jars and store for two to three weeks in the fridge.
