Skillet Caramel Apricot Grunt Food

APRICOTS IN CARAMEL COGNAC SAUCE

Steps:

• Cook sugar in a dry 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, undisturbed, until it begins to melt. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally with a fork, until sugar is melted into a deep golden caramel, 8 to 10 minutes. Carefully add water, then add Cognac and lemon juice (caramel will harden and steam vigorously) and cook over moderately low heat, stirring, until caramel is dissolved. Stir in apricots and simmer, stirring occasionally, until apricots are tender but still hold their shape, about 10 minutes.
• Serve warm or at room temperature.

PAN-ROASTED PORK CHOPS WITH APRICOT-CARAMEL SAUCE

Steps:

• In 10-inch skillet (preferably nonstick), mix sugar and water with wooden spoon. Heat over medium-high heat 5 to 7 minutes, without stirring, until sugar turns dark golden brown and just begins to smoke (do not allow to burn). Remove from heat.
• Add apple, onion, garlic and cinnamon to skillet and stir to coat (sugar may clump and harden at first but will melt again when heated). Return to heat and cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until some liquid escapes from mixture.
• Remove from heat and add vinegar (avert your head; the fumes from the vinegar can take your breath away). Stir and return to heat. Slowly stir in apple cider and broth (sugar may clump-that is okay, it will melt). When all liquids have been added, add bay leaves and thyme.
• Heat to boiling. Reduce heat to medium. Simmer uncovered 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until reduced by half.
• Meanwhile, heat oven to 375°F. In 10-inch ovenproof skillet, cook bacon over medium-high heat until crisp and brown. Remove bacon from skillet; drain on paper towels, crumble and set aside. There should be about 1 tablespoon bacon drippings remaining in pan. If there is more, pour off excess; if there is less, add a little vegetable oil.
• Sprinkle pork with salt and pepper. Place pork in bacon drippings in skillet and cook 4 minutes or until brown. Flip and brown on other side, about 4 minutes longer. Cover skillet with lid or foil and place in oven. Roast 8 minutes or until slightly firm when touched and meat thermometer inserted in center reads 155°F (pork will continue to cook to 160°F when removed from oven). Remove pork from skillet and place on plate. Cover tightly with foil; set aside.
• The skillet used to cook the pork should have some cooking liquid in it. Place this skillet over medium heat. Pour the reduced sauce into skillet and stir to combine. Stir in apricot preserves and heat sauce to boiling. Boil 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened. Remove skillet from heat. Beat in butter, 1 piece at a time, with wire whisk, adding the next piece only after the first has been completely beaten in and melted. When all of the butter has been beaten in, taste sauce and season with salt and pepper if desired. Remove and discard bay leaves and thyme sprig.
• Place pork on warm serving plates and top with sauce. Sprinkle with crumbled bacon and the parsley.

UPSIDE-DOWN APRICOT CARAMEL CRUNCH CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Line a 13x9 inch baking pan with foil and grease foil. Set aside.
• Drain apricot halves, reserving juice in a 2-cup glass measuring cup. Add enough apricot nectar to the reserved juice to equal the amount of water called for on the boxed mix (probably around 1 1/4 cups - if you don't have enough, add water to make up the difference). Set liquid aside.
• Cut apricot halves into 1/2-inch-thick slices; set aside.
• Sprinkle brown sugar evenly over bottom of the prepared baking pan. Sprinkle almonds over brown sugar. Arrange apricot slices on top of almonds; set aside.
• Prepare cake mix according to package directions, using the eggs and oil as instructed on the box, except add 1/2 cup oats into dry cake mix and substitute apricot juice mixture for the water called for in directions.
• Pour batter evenly over apricot slices and almonds in pan, being careful not to disturb apricots and almonds.
• Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
• Cool in pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes. Carefully invert onto a large serving platter; remove foil.
• Drizzle warm cake with caramel ice cream topping. If desired, top each serving with sweetened whipped cream or ice cream.

SCRIPPELLE RIBBONS WITH APRICOT-ORANGE SAUCE

Steps:

• You will need a heavy-bottomed nonstick skillet or sauté pan, 10-inch diameter or wider.
• To make the ribbons: Stack three or four cooled scrippelle evenly, and roll them up into a cylinder, about the size of a cigar. With a sharp knife, slice the roll crosswise every 2/3 inch (for thin strips like tagliatelle) or every inch (for wider strips, like fettuccine). Separate and unfurl the cut pieces into ribbons. Continue to slice up all the scrippelle this way.
• Put the sugar in the skillet, pour 1/3 cup water over it, and shake the pan a bit to spread out the moistened sugar. Set the skillet over medium-high heat, and, without stirring, let the sugar dissolve into a syrup and come to a boil. Don't stir or shake the pan as it bubbles away, evaporating all the water and nearing the temperature of caramelization-this can take 10 minutes or more. Have the remaining sauce ingredients (butter, apricot preserves, and citrus juices) near at hand, as well as a long wooden spoon for stirring, and thick kitchen towels for holding the pan.
• When the syrup bubbles become noticeably thicker, watch closely for it to take on color, usually near the edge of the skillet. At the first signs of darkening, lower the heat and swirl the syrup, so it caramelizes evenly to a deep-golden color. Still over low heat, drop in the butter and the apricot preserves, and stir steadily as they melt into the caramel. Pour in the lemon and orange juices, stirring carefully, because the caramel will bubble and splatter.
• Raise the heat, and bring the sauce back to a boil, stirring steadily. Adjust the heat to keep it at a simmer, and drop in the scrippelle ribbons. Toss and tumble the strips with tongs or long-handled utensils, for a minute or more, until they're heated through and glazed all over with the caramel sauce.
• Turn off the heat, lift out one serving of ribbons, and drop it onto a dessert plate-giving the ribbons twist as you release them to make a pretty nestlike mound. Top each serving with a big spoonful of whipped cream and a scattering of pine nuts. Drizzle any sauce left in the skillet over and around the ribbons, and serve right away.