This time of year a basket of apples can mean more than grabbing a quick snack or adding a fragrant scent in the house. Since giving loose apples to trick-or-treaters is a no-no these days and after the age-old recipes for apple pie and applesauce are exhausted, here are a few recipes to put those wholesome fruits to use.
PAZZO INSALATA DI CASA
mixed field greens
Granny Smith apples
Gorgonzola
toasted almonds
Bermuda onions
balsamic vinaigrette
Mix the greens, onions and Gorgonzola with the almonds and dressing. Serve with sliced apples on the side with balsamic glaze.
“The tartness of the apples mixed with the sweetness of the balsamic and the earthiness of the Gorgonzola makes it a beautiful dish.”
–Steve Zemann, pastry chef and garde manger
Pazzo MMX, 141 W. Front St., Red Bank
STUFFED PORK LOIN WITH APPLE AND CAMEMBERT CHEESE
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 14 minutes
2 pork loins about 14 ounces each (2 inches thick)
2 Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored and diced
4 strips of bacon
2 tablespoons minced shallots
6 ounces of Camembert cheese rind removed and cut into small cubes
2 cups of panko breadcrumbs
½ stick of butter
6 ounces of brandy
½ cup demi-glace (if available)
2 tablespoons oil
(If demi-glace not available:
1 teaspoon cornstarch dissolved in 2 tablespoons of cold water)
In a heated pan over medium heat sauté chopped bacon with no oil.
Add apples, butter, shallots and sauté for about 5 minutes stirring constantly.
Add half of brandy to the pan off the stove (be careful with flambé flames), return to stove and reduce the brandy or until alcohol evaporates.
Put aside and when apple mixture cools down, add Camembert cheese cubes and half of the panko. Mix well, add salt and pepper to taste. Reserve the pan to make the brandy sauce using the flavor left from sautéing the apple mixture.
Make an incision on the side of the pork loins about 5 inches wide and with the knife carve a hole and make a pocket big enough to stuff the pork loin with the apple mixture without bursting or ripping the pork loin.
Season the pork loin with salt and pepper and drizzle them with oil and breaded on both sides with the remaining panko (oil will make the panko stick to the pork loins).
Add oil to a sautéed pan big enough to hold the two pieces of loin and brown the loins on both sides at medium heat until golden brown. Removed loins from pan and set aside.
On the reserved pan add the remaining brandy (off the stove) and reduce the brandy, add demi-glace, ½ of the chicken stock and stir. Put the loins back into the pan with the sauce and simmer 7 minutes on each side (add chicken stock as needed if the sauce is drying out).
Plate each pork loin and pour the brandy sauce over it.
If demi-glace was not available: Same procedure but instead thicken the chicken stock with the cornstarch mixture.
“Brisk autumn days often call for warm, comfort food. This stuffed pork loin with apples and Camembert cheese makes for the perfect dinner any day of the week.”
–Chef Katerina Giambalvo
Monticello at Red Bank, 69 Broad St., Red Bank
APPLE TART
For the pastry:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1-1/2 sticks cold unsalted butter, cut in cubes
1/2 cup ice water
For the apples:
4 Granny Smith apples
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 stick cold unsalted butter, cut in small cubes
1/2 cup applesauce
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
For the pastry: place the flour, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor and pulse for a few seconds to combine.
Add the butter and pulse until the butter is the size of small peas.
With the food processor running, pour the ice water down and mix until the dough starts to come together. Flour your workstation and knead into a ball. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Roll the dough by 10 by 14 inches and trim the edges. Place the dough on the prepared sheet pan with parchment paper and refrigerate about 1 hour.
For apples: Peel the apples and cut them in half and slice thinly. Place slices of apples in the middle of the tart overlapping each other and continue until the pastry is covered with the apple slices. Sprinkle apples with sugar and put small pieces of butter on top of apples.
Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour (until the pastry and the edges of the apples start to brown). Rotate the pan in halfway of cooking.
Allow to cool and serve warm with a choice of ice cream on side or eat at room temperature.
—“Any season is good for a recipe with apples, but fall is the right time to be more creative. Here is one of our best-sellers. Our secret is the high quality ingredients we use while creating everything from scratch at Antoinette Boulangerie. The cold weather can be more bearable by serving this amazing pastry warm.”
–Zeynep Ozdemir, executive chef and founding owner
Antoinette Boulangerie, 32 Monmouth St., Red Bank
