Apple Filling

This is a basic filling for all kinds of desserts, cakes and tarts. It can also be used as a base for those beautifully glazed apple flans so popular in France.

Just to be clear, you probably would not want to use this in a home-made apple pie. It's an ingredient much as jam or honey might be and as such is very versatile. It also freezes well.

The measures used for these ingredients are a guide. It's best made to individual taste, but I know some people do prefer to have some idea of quantities.

1 kilo (2lbs) of apples, peeled, cored and sliced thinly
juice of 1 lemon
100g (4oz) butter
100g (4oz) sugar
1tbs Calvados (apple brandy)
1 small carton double (heavy) cream

Put the apples in a bowl, add the lemon juice and toss them in it. Use your hands to do this efficiently.

In a large skillet, melt the butter to foaming and cook the apples in this until soft and cooked through. This will take 5-10 minutes, depending on the variety of apple.

Add the sugar, maintain the heat and caramelize it. You will need to keep stirring to avoid the sugar burning. It's ready when everything is a uniform golden color and a teaspoonful is slightly sticky. Try it when it has cooled off a bit, not as soon as it comes out of the pan.

Remove the pan from the heat, warm the Calvados in a large spoon over the stove, pour it over the apple mixture and set fire to it. Stand well back as you do this and make sure there is nothing flammable directly above it. You are about to find out why some chefs have no eyebrows and get very nervous around people with matches.

Allow the flames to die down and stir in the cream. Only use as much of it as you want to obtain the color and flavor you like. If that's all the cream or none of it, so be it. The basic mix will work very well on its own.

First published on Qassia