Garry Watson, chef patron at Gordon’s Restaurant in Inverkeilor, makes a tempting autumn apple dessert
Apples are such a delightful arrival in autumn. Of course, they are available all year round, but they are generally at their best from September through to November and I’m looking forward to both eating them on their own and cooking with them right through until winter.
I genuinely believe they are one of those great British ingredients that tend to be truly underrated. Over 7,000 varieties of apple exist and they are one of the most widely cultured tree fruits. We have types that grow here in Britain, but it astounds me that generally only around 12 varieties are commonly sold in UK supermarkets, of which some are imported.
We should be celebrating this glorious fruit and eating the varieties that can be found local in all their colour and beauty – from red to yellow to green, from eating apples to cooking varieties, which are much tarter in flavour and more acidic but absolutely wonderful in sweet and savoury dishes.
Every autumn I have an abundance from my garden trees. Once picked you can keep them for longer by wrapping in a single layer of newspaper, in a wooden box or wicker basket and keep them in a cool dark place until you’re ready to enjoy them. While apples are delicious in desserts and can be enjoyed just as much in savoury dishes. In autumn, I use a lot of fruit in my cooking as it’s a delightful accompaniment to many game dishes. In the same way, stewed apples can make the most wonderful sauce enjoyed with game and also with rich meat like pork.
However, for the sweet-toothed try my wicked comforting apple beignets. Whisk 4 egg yolks with 250ml cider then mix in 250g of sieved plain flour until a smooth batter. In a separate bowl whisk four egg whites to a firm peak meringue, then fold into the cider mix. Peel and core two apples of your choice, keeping them whole cut each apple into four doughnut shaped slices, about 0.5 cm thick. Dust apple with flour and dip in batter. Deep fry at 170C until golden brown, Drain on kitchen paper and dust with icing sugar.
Chef’s tip: This is delicious served with vanilla pod ice cream and/or caramel sauce.
