Caramelized Apples With Fresh Rosemary Food

CARAMELIZED APPLES WITH FRESH ROSEMARY

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450, with rack in top position. Bring cider and rosemary to a boil. Remove from heat, and let stand for 5 minutes. Discard rosemary.
• Combine sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl. Add apples, and toss. Coat a nonstick rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray. Arrange apples in a single layer on sheet. Bake for 9 minutes, then flip each slice, and bake for 5 minutes more. Pull out baking sheet on oven rack, and carefully pour infused cider over apples. Return sheet and rack to oven, and bake until apples are soft and glossy, about 5 minutes.
• Broil apples with oven door slightly ajar, rotating sheet halfway through, until edges are golden, about 2 minutes. Divide apples and juices among bowls. Serve with yogurt, if desired.

PORK CHOPS WITH CARAMELIZED APPLES AND ARUGULA

Steps:

• Flavor Secrets: To prepare a brine, combine 1 cup water, 1/4 cup kosher salt, and 1/4 cup brown sugar. Bring to a boil for 1 minute to dissolve the salt and sugar. Remove from the heat and cool. Stir in 3 cups cold water. Submerge the meat in the brine for at least 4 hours.
• 1. For maximum juiciness, brine the pork chops for 4 hours if you can (see Flavor Secrets, above). Pat the pork chops dry with a paper towel and season with salt and pepper.
• 2. In a saute pan over medium-high heat, add the olive oil. Heat the oil until it just starts to haze. Add the pork chops and saute until golden on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Closely monitor the heat so the pork chops get a deep golden brown but so the bits at the bottom of the pan don't burn-they are the flavor foundation for your sauce. Remove the pork chops and set aside.
• 3. Add the shallots, apples, and garlic to the same pan. Cook for 2 minutes or until golden. Use tongs to scrape the bits off the bottom of the pan. Add the brandy and let boil, reducing the liquid by half. Add the apple juice and rosemary, and boil for 1 minute. Add the chicken stock and boil (reduce) until you have a nice saucy consistency. Add the butter. Turn off the heat and stir just until the butter is melted. Stir in the arugula.
• 4. Place each pork chop on a plate. Pour the sauce with the arugula over the top.

CARAMELIZED APPLES

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
• Add the apples to the pan and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar.
• Sauté the apples, stirring frequently, for 6-8 minutes, until they just start to turn tender.
• Sprinkle the apples with the remaining sugar, cinnamon, and lemon zest.
• Toss the mixture gently and cook over medium heat for an additional 2 minutes, until the sugar begins to caramelize and the apples are crisp-tender.
• Transfer the apples from the skillet to a serving bowl with a slotted spoon.
• Turn the heat to high and add the apple cider to the skillet, scraping up any browned bits.
• Reduce the heat slightly and allow the cider and the pan juices to simmer for 1-3 minutes, until the sauce has reduced and thickened slightly.
• If you desire a thicker sauce, dissolve the cornstarch in a teaspoon of water, stir it into the sauce, and allow it to thicken for a moment.
• Pour the finished sauce over the warm apples and serve immediately.

CARAMELIZED BAKED APPLES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
• Wash and core to a half-inch of the bottoms of each apple. With a vegetable peeler, peel the tops and bottoms of each apple, leaving a band of skin approximately two inches wide. Place the apples one to two inches apart in a large baking dish. Sprinkle a little of the zest into the well of each apple. Add the cider to the dish and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until tender but not mushy. Place the apples on a lightly oiled baking pan and allow to cool thoroughly.
• When the apples have cooled, place one cup of sugar and a half cup cold water in a medium-size heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir with a wooden spoon until the sugar has dissolved. When the sugar begins to turn golden, rotate the pan to even the color. When the caramel is light amber, using a wooden spoon, carefully coat each apple with the hot caramel. (Caramel burns quickly and must be watched carefully. It will continue to cook and become a darker amber as you are working with it.) Repeat the method with the remaining sugar, using a clean, cool, medium-size heavy saucepan.
• Meanwhile, whip the cream into soft peaks and fold in the ginger and refrigerate until ready to serve the apples.
• When ready to serve, pry the apples from the baking pans with a metal spatula and arrange them on a serving platter or serve on individual dessert plates, accompanied with the ginger cream.

CARAMELIZED APPLES

Steps:

• Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat; sprinkle sugar over. Stir until sugar begins to melt, about 1 minute. Add apples. Sauté until apples are brown and tender and juices form, about 10 minutes. Add cream and simmer until sauce thickens slightly, about 2 minutes. (Can be prepared 3 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature. Rewarm apples over medium heat.)

ROAST GOOSE WITH CARAMELIZED APPLES

Steps:

• Position rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 350°F. Rinse goose inside and out; pat dry with paper towels. Sprinkle inside and out with salt and pepper. Using knife, cut small slits all over goose; place garlic slices into slits. Place goose on rack, breast side down, in large roasting pan.
• Roast goose 2 hours 45 minutes, basting occasionally with drippings and removing excess fat; reserve 6 tablespoons fat. Turn goose over. Roast until brown and thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 175°F, basting occasionally with drippings, about 45 minutes longer.
• Meanwhile, toss apples and lemon juice in large bowl. Pour 6 tablespoons goose fat into 15 x 10 x 2-inch glass baking dish. Using slotted spoon, transfer apples to baking dish; toss apples in goose fat. Add sugar, Calvados and cinnamon to apples; toss. Bake apples alongside goose until very tender and golden, about 1 hour.
• Serve goose with caramelized apples.