David Ross

After three weeks of looking at different recipes, testing, tasting and weathering the fights with dough that didn't rise or was too dense, I finally came upon success. Success in the form of a delicious apple fritter that is every bit as good as the fresh apple fritters you buy at your local bakery at 6am. This is a fritter that is sweet, light and puffy yet with a dough density that can withstand the heat and pressure of 375 degree hot oil. And with many good things that come from our kitchens, it takes time and one goes through a lot of steps. The apple filling- ¼ cup unsalted butter 1/2 vanilla bean 4-5 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1/4" dice ¼ cup granulated sugar ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 cup apple cider ¼ cup apple cider vinegar I chose Granny Smith apples because I wanted some tartness to counter the sweet dough of the fritter and the sticky sweet glaze. The secret here is the apple cider vinegar. It gives a tart punch to the apple filling yet without a strong aroma or taste of vinegar. Melt the butter in skillet over medium heat. Cut the vanilla bean in half and scrape the seeds into the butter, then add the vanilla bean. Add the diced apples, sugar, cinnamon, cider and apple cider vinegar and cook until the apples are soft and most of the liquid is absorbed. Store the apples, covered, in the refrigerator until you are ready to assemble the fritters. The fritter dough- 1 1/2 tbsp. dry yeast 1/2 cup warm water 2 tsp. sugar 2 cups bread flour 1/4 cup sugar 1/4 tsp. baking powder 1/4 tsp. cinnamon 1 tsp. salt 2 tbsp. shortening 1 large egg 1/4 tsp. vanilla Additional bread flour as needed When I first saw this recipe I was surprised. Surprised that it called for more than twice the amount of yeast in other fritter recipes, less flour (and bread flour instead of all purpose flour), and baking powder. I've never paired both yeast and baking powder in a dough recipe. I figured it would result in a soft, pillowy dough that I've come to like in a good, a great, donut. In a mixing bowl, add the yeast and warm water and stir. Then sprinkle in the 2 tsp. sugar. It will take about 7 minutes for the yeast to bubble and bloom before you can add the other ingredients. In a separate bowl, add the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt and stir to combine. Attach the dough hook to the mixer and with the mixer running, add in the shortening, egg and vanilla and mix to combine. Slowly add the dry ingredient mixture and combine until a soft yet sticky dough bowl forms. You may need to add additional bread flour 1 tbsp. at a time. The finished dough will be smooth and hold its shape yet still soft and sticky. Turn the dough into an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. I find that putting the dough in a warmed oven helps it rise. Now I don't mean a hot oven. I turn my oven to 150 then turn it off. When it's warm, about 80 degrees, I put the bowl of dough in to rise. After about 90 minutes the dough is doubled in size. And now you are ready for the really tricky steps to making apple fritters, forming the dough. The dough after the first rise- Roll the dough into a thick rectangle, about 12" x 8" and spoon the apple filling over half the dough- Fold the top half of the dough over the bottom half with the apple filling. Then cut the dough vertically into 1" or so slices- Now cut the dough horizontally, again into 1" slices. You'll have all these little squares of dough filled with apples- Now we put all these little chunks of dough into a oblong bread type of shape. Then we'll cut them into sections about 3" wide, and form them into palm-size "fritters". Sort of like the shape of a bear claw- Gently, gently, place the fritters onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment and cover. Let the fritters rise a second time, about 45 minutes- The Glaze- 2 cups powdered sugar 1 1/2 tsp. corn syrup 1/4 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. vanilla 1 tbsp. sugar 1/3 cup warm water Add the powdered sugar, corn syrup, salt, vanilla and sugar to a bowl. Stir to combine, then whisk in the warm water until a smooth glaze with no lumps forms. We'll use the glaze to cover the fritter when they come out of the fryer. After the final rise, the fritters are ready to go into hot oil. I used canola oil heated to 375 and after about 1 1/2 min. frying on each side and this is what you have- You can now see how those little clumps of dough cling together during rising and give that characteristic bakery style shape to your apple fritters. Spoon over a good coating of the glaze while the fritters are still warm. Because we are dealing with fresh, sweet dough and apples that are fried and then glazed, they taste best when eaten, oh, let's say no more than 10 minutes after coming out of the fryer and doused with sugary glaze. We wouldn't want to eat day-old fritters now would we.

Anyone have a very good apple fritter recipe? I'm looking for something along the lines of an apple fritter doughnut. I've got the apple cider ice cream made and the garnishes ready, just need the main part of the dish!

We've been showcasing a number of sweet apple dishes, (and a few savory dishes too), here at our Apple Cook-Off........ http://forums.egullet.org/topic/149304-eg-cook-off-67-apples/page-4

My stuffing using "croutons" from a local bakery that's been in business for decades, sausage, pecans and dried cranberries. Oh, and eggs, melted butter and chicken stock also go in to make the dressing incredibly rich and moist yet with a browned crust on top. (Not stuffed in the turkey).

My favorite type of apple pie--the "Dutch" apple pie with a crumb topping. I made this pie using my basic pastry crust and apple pie filling, (using golden delicious). The crumb topping is a mix of 1 cup flour, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice, then 1/2 cup melted butter stirred in. I baked it as a normal 9" pie, then cut a round out of the pie for this individual serving. Served with the Calvados Caramel Sauce I made for the Sticky Toffee Apple Pudding. The only flaw? That puny scoop of vanilla ice cream.

I still buy it, but rarely use it. For me it's a nostalgic thing. My Mother used to wrap our sandwiches in wax paper for our school lunches. So on occasion when I take a sandwich to work for lunch, I'll wrap it in wax paper just for the memories. And when I remember, I wrap cheese in wax paper.

Looks delicious. I could find all sorts of dishes for that relish. Thanks for posting.

I first created the recipe for Litchee-Plum Conserve as an accompaniment to an Asian style pork dish in one of the preliminary rounds of MasterChef USA on PBS. That recipe has served me well for nearly 15 years and so it was the perfect starting point for adapting it to applesauce. The result is a blend of litchee, plum, applesauce and five-spice powder that is fragrant, sweet and a bit tart. It smells like a bed of roses in an apple orchard, and it's so easy to prepare. Litchee-Plum Applesauce- 10 canned litchee fruit 4-6 large canned plums, pits removed 1 16 oz. jar chunky applesauce. I found a local brand made from Honeycrisp Apples, the "High J Orchards" of Manson, Washington 2 tsp. five-spice powder 1/4 cup sugar 1 tsp. lemon zest Puree the litchee and plums in a food processor, then pour into a saucepan. Add the applesauce, five-spice, sugar and lemon zest and cook the sauce about 20 minutes or until it starts to thicken. Deep-Fried Szechuan Peppercorn Pork- 1 Pork tenderloin cut into medallions then pounded into thin cutlets 1 tsp. hot chile oil 1 tbsp. sesame oil 2 tbsp. soy sauce 1 tsp. sugar 1 tbsp. Chinese rice wine 2 tsp. grated ginger 2 tsp. grated garlic 2 tsp. ground Szechuan peppercorns 1 egg yolk 1/2 cup cornstarch Canola oil for frying Combine the marinade ingredients and add the pork cutlets. Cover and refrigerate about an hour. Add the egg yolk and cornstarch to the pork and marinade and toss to coat. Heat the oil in a deep fryer to 375. Deep-fry the pork cutlets until browned, about 3 minutes. Drain the pork and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve with the Litchee-Plum Applesauce.

My next dish is going to be a non-traditional pairing of pork and apples but with Asian flavors. I toyed with it tonight, but the color was pretty much brown and dull green, the flavors not vibrant and the pork not cut properly. Needs some work but I think it will be a winner.

Thanks for the suggestions!

I think you're right. There doesn't seem to be much of a market for mutton so trying to sell it isn't profitable. I'll keep searching. I know of a farmer at our small outdoor market that sells lamb so I'll ask him to see if he would set aside a ewe for me.

Well, 5 years on and I'm still searching for a source online for mutton. Not lamb, mutton. I've had a taste for mutton since I was a kid. My Grandfather, Ralp Pink, owned a wool and pelt business in Twin Falls, Idaho for many years and he would often serve up mutton--a typical meat in Idaho decades ago when the sheep business was king. I'll never forget a trip we took one summer up to Ketchum, Idaho, where my Grandfather's friend Gladys Keel lived. Gladys claimed to be a friend of Ernest Hemingway who lived up on the hill. True or not we'll never know, but I do know Gladys made a hearty, fragrant mutton stew. I'm finding that Americans just don't seem to appreciate the full flavor of mutton. Lamb yes, but those are babies compared to mature ewes that no longer produce lambs. I've found through my research that the wretched ewes are often sent off to become a blend of meats and fillers not served in homes or restaurants. The UK has a number of online sites that sell mutton, but they can't ship to the US. There are a few online halal sites that sell a few limited cuts of mutton or canned mutton. In the US the only site I've found that sells mutton is the Moonlight Barbecue in Kentucky, but I don't want slow-roasted mutton cloaked in barbecue sauce. I'm looking for a side of mutton I can butcher myself. I've found two local farms that are willing to sell mutton, but we have to plan up to a year in advance. Lambs born in the early Spring are sent to market around November so that's the time when older ewes can be set aside for sale. I'm just not sure that I want a whole mutton carcass. So I'm reaching out once again to see what sources you have for mutton, preferably an online source in the US that ships.

It's a duck! Slow-roasted with apples, potatoes, turnips and garlic. A rush of heat at the end to crisp the skin and a douse of warmed calvados to flame the bird just before service. The only thing that this duck needed was a smidge of dark, rich duck jus. Truss a duck. Place in a roasting pan with a rack. Season the cavity with salt and pepper, then stuff the fowl with a chopped onion, a head of garlic cut in half and a few sprigs of fresh thyme. Roast the duck in a 300 oven for 1 1/2 hours. Add some quartered tart apples, (don't peel or core), a quartered turnip and a russet potato cut in thick wedges, (unpeeled potato). Roast another hour. Raise the heat to 400 and roast another 35 minutes to crisp the skin. Remove the duck from the oven and let rest 10 minutes. Place the duck in a large casserole and add the vegetables and apples. Douse with warmed calvados and light afire! Serve slices of the duck and some of the vegetables and apple. Drizzle a bit of duck jus around the plate. If you have it.

And I thought my standard Sticky Toffee Pudding was good. (I've been told one never starts a sentence with "and.") Yet as cooking goes, a new King of Sticky Toffee Pud's has been crowned--the "Sticky Toffee Apple Pudding with Calvados Caramel." Adapted from a BBC Food recipe, I used Granny Smith apples due to their tart flavor and ability to hold shape when baked. I also added some currants and golden raisins to insure the pudding stayed moist. It's a lot of ingredients and a lot of steps, but you will swoon. Calvados Caramel- 8 tbsp. brown sugar 1/2 cup butter 2 tbsp. calvados 12 tbsp. heavy cream I would recommend making the caramel about 6 hours in advance. Letting it cool and thicken in the fridge, then reheating over a water bath at the point of service. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Heat the butter in a skillet over medium heat, then add the brown sugar, calvados and cream. Cook until the caramel thickens, about 15 minutes. Chill until ready to serve. Apples- 2 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and cut into chunks 2 tbsp. butter 4 tbsp. water 6 tbsp. granulated sugar 2 tbsp. calvados (apple brandy) 1 tbsp. currants 3 tbsp. golden raisins 1 tsp. baking soda Heat the oven to 375. Butter a springform pan, (I used a 8" pan with 4" high sides). Melt the butter, water and sugar over medium-high heat. Add the apples and cook until golden and caramelized, about 15 minutes. You may need to add additional water. Remove from the heat and stir in the currants, golden raisins, calvados and baking soda. Pudding- 6 tbsp. butter 3/4 cup brown sugar 3 tbsp. honey 2 eggs 1 tsp. vanilla extract 7oz. self-rising flour Cream the butter and brown sugar. Add the honey, eggs, vanilla and flour and mix until the pudding is thoroughly combined. Add the apple mixture and turn the pudding into the pan. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Let the pudding cool on a rack for 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edge of the springform pan and release the sides. Toffee topping- 2 tbsp. butter 2 tbsp. brown sugar Melt the butter over medium heat and add the brown sugar. After 30 minutes baking the pudding, pour this toffee topping over the top of the pudding and continue baking another 15 minutes. Cut a wedge of the pudding while still warm. Add a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream and drizzle some of the warmed calvados caramel on top of and around the pudding. Sticky Toffee Apple Pudding with Calvados Caramel-

When I was a kid, we used to order the "German Apple Pancake" at the "Original" (are they all called the "original"), Pancake House in Salem, Oregon. It was quite a treat, the most expensive thing on the menu and it took "extra time to prepare." Sometimes you'll find the dish simply called a Puffy Apple Pancake. But regardless of the title of the recipe, it's a blend of caramelized apples cooked in a skillet then batter poured in and the "pancake" is baked in a very hot oven. I use an old cast iron skillet because it does the best job of caramelizing the apples and it retains heat very well. Just one caution though--cast iron gets so hot that you have to be careful so that you don't burn the apples. 2 tbsp. butter 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1/4 cup water Cinnamon and nutmeg 2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and cut into big chunks, (I go with a tart apple) 3 eggs 3/4 cup milk 3/4 cup flour 1/4 tsp. salt Heat the over to 425 Melt the butter with the sugar and water over medium-high heat in a skillet. Let the sugars caramelize and soften the apples, about 15 minutes. While the apples cook, blend the eggs, milk, flour, salt and a sprinkle of cinnamon and nutmeg. Pour the batter over the apples and place the skillet in the oven. Bake until puffy and golden, about 18 minutes. Serve with pure maple syrup. The apple pancake out of the oven- I like to invert the pancake, like a tarte tatin, and then cut wedges for serving. It wasn't as puffy as the Pancake House version and not a dainty presentation, but it was crispy with soft caramelized apples. Almost like an apple bread pudding. Delicious-

The heart of this savory apple dish is a salad I've been making for years--Oregon Bosc Pear with Rogue River Bleu Cheese and Toasted Hazlenuts. The dressing has always been a blend of apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard and olive oil. But in the interest of our Cook-Off and attempting to use as many different apple varieties in a wide range of dishes, tonight the salad blossomed. The Salmon- Alaskan Sockeye Salmon Dusted with dry mustard and Cajun seasoning. Pan-seared with olive oil in a cast iron pan, then roasted in a 400 oven for 6 minutes. Salad- Mixed greens "Sweet Tango" apple cut into matchsticks Toasted hazelnuts Bleu cheese Roasted pumpkin The Dressing- Apple cider vinegar Walnut oil Greek olive oil Dijon mustard Roasted garlic Shallot Salt and pepper The sweet tango apple is close to the honeycrisp-sweet yet tart with a medium-firm texture, very juicy.

I have a new favorite Fall cocktail. The "Red Apple and Bourbon Fizz" comes from Laurent Tourondel's cookbook "Fresh from the Market." I changed up the recipe to bring forth more apple flavors- 2 oz. Maker's Mark Bourbon 2 oz. Apple Juice 2 oz. Square Mile, (Portland, OR), Hopped Hard Apple Cider 1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice 1 tbsp. wildflower honey Ginger ale Thinly sliced Red Delicious apple Pour all into a tall glass, stir, add ice.

Le Cirque has a new young Chef, but I haven't heard any reviews. Most likely a talented Chef in given the history of the Maccioni family. If anyone out there wants to dine at Le Cirque, ask for Ivo Angelov the Manager. He will take care of you.

The worst luck in the world----I dropped my poor little Canon Zoom camera and the dear fellow is no more. Splat on the kitchen floor just when I had four apple dishes to photograph. This guy served me well for about 4 years and trust me, I am tough on little cameras when it comes to food photography. But there is good news in that I can use tonight and tomorrow as practice on the recipes and then photograph then with a new camera next week. On the menu- -Red Apple and Bourbon Fizz cocktail, (Red Delicious) -Puffed German Apple Pancake, (Gala) -Roast Duck with Turnips, Apples and Calvados, (Granny Smith) -Apple-Huckleberry Crisp, (Gala)

I turned to my vintage cookbooks for some apple inspiration and came across the 1946 edition of The Joy of Cooking by Irma Rombauer. Mrs. Rombauer lists 56 different apple recipes--a phenomenal number considering many cookbooks today may only have a few apple dishes. She lists 6 different apple pie recipes, two apple mincemeat recipes along with baked apples, apples baked in cream, baked in fruit juice, canned, candied and with cinnamon. The 1913 edition of the Boston Cooking School Cook Book by Fannie Merritt Farmer offers a tempting Fall recipe for "Venison Cutlets with Apples." The dish is composed of venison sautéed in butter and paired with apples soaked in port with a garnish of candied cherries. Fast-forward 101 years and one would describe the dish on a menu as "Noisettes of Venison with Caramelized Heirloom Baldwin Apples and Port Wine Montmorency Cherries." Ms. Farmer sure knew the beauty of pairing apples and game.

This is my recipe for chutney. Although this version uses rhubarb, (as part of our rhubarb Cook-off (http://forums.egullet.org/topic/148879-eg-cook-off-66-rhubarb/page-2), it works just as well with tart, diced apples. I just adjust the cooking time and go a little longer for apples. My Rhubarb Chutney- 3 cups chopped fresh rhubarb 1/3 cup golden raisins 1/4 cup currants 1/2 cup diced red onion 1 tbsp. grated fresh ginger 1 tbsp. minced fresh garlic 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar 1/2 cup brown sugar 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1/4 tsp. ground cumin 1/8 tsp. cloves 1/8 tsp. cayenne or red pepper flakes 1/4 tsp. cinnamon 1/8 tsp. ground allspice Salt and black pepper Optional-curry powder Water Heat a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add all the ingredients and spices and stir to combine. When the mixture begins to bubble, turn the heat down to low and let the chutney cook until the apples soften. Add water to thin the chutney if it is too thick.

Thanks for the great information. More pickles to come.

My next sweet apple dish is a traditional Apple Brown Betty. The Brown Betty first started to show up in cookbooks in the 1860's, but I suspect it was a dish baked in homes for decades prior. It is one of the simplest of apple dishes--a layered dessert of apples, sugar, spices, breadcrumbs and butter. For this Betty, I chose the Honeycrisp apple, a newer variety cultivated by the University of Minnesota. I was going out of my normal boundaries of using the Fuji by experimenting with the Honeycrisp. The Fuji is sweet but not overly so and it cooks down to a thick applesauce texture which is perfect for the Betty. This is one of the few recipes where I use commercial, sliced white bread, but it is fabulous. Simply cut off the crust and pulse in the food processor for fluffy, flavorful, fresh breadcrumbs- The apples and brown sugar are tossed with cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice. I used 5 apples, 1 cup brown sugar and a dash of each of the spices- Then a layer of fresh breadcrumbs and pats of butter- And another layer of apples, breadcrumbs and butter- Baked in a 375 oven for about 45 minutes- Apple Brown Betty with Vanilla Ice Cream- The verdict: Good but not great. I should have followed the advice of the clerk at the grocery store--the Honeycrisp was cultivated to be a juicy, sweet yet tart, eating apple. The flavor was somewhat bitter in the baked Betty and the apple slices didn't soften after 45 minutes in the oven. The Honeycrisp is a delicious apple, but at a premium price, ($3.49/lb.) over other apple varieties, I think my expectations were too high. Next time I'll go back to the Fuji and use my standard technique for the apples in a Betty-cook the apples down in a compote with currants rather than slicing the apples. I think the soft texture of a thick applesauce works better in the Betty.

Another note, sometimes I add a tablespoon of corn syrup to the butter and sugar before adding the apples and baking. It gives a firmer, stickier finished caramel, but be careful, too much corn syrup and the caramel will burn.

I'm thinking about an apple dish paired with sautéed foie gras, but I have a few questions- -If I seared the foie gras then flamed it with Calvados, (apple brandy), would the Calvados make the foie gras taste bitter? -Anyone ever found or used a good apple vinegar? I'm looking for something more concentrated than apple cider vinegar. -I think an apple chutney with curry spices would be a good accompaniment to the foie gras--sweet yet sour and I like the fragrance of curry. Would it work with the foie gras?