By ELIZABETH KARMEL
By ELIZABETH KARMEL
Associated Press
ach fall, I can’t help myself from buying apples by the bushel. I get so excited by the crisp air and the fresh-from-the-orchard fruit that I inevitably buy way too many.
So I end up baking pies and apple cakes. I even saute fresh sliced apples for breakfast the way my mother did when I was a child. But my hands-down favorite thing to make with my abundance? Homemade applesauce. I love to make homemade applesauce when I want to perk up a less-than-exciting meal and impress my dining companions with something unexpectedly delicious.
I remember my first taste of what has become my go-to recipe. My mother was making Julia Child’s French apple tart. Child’s recipe has a bed of well-seasoned applesauce on the bottom and a fan of apricot-jam glazed apples on the top.
When I tasted Child’s brandy-laced applesauce, I quickly decided that was the best part of the tart. Since then, I have used a variation of that applesauce as my own.
I love the process of peeling the apples, cutting them into rough chunks and placing them in my heavy enameled Dutch oven. I use whatever apples I have on hand. Sometimes they are all the same variety and sometimes they are a mix.
SPIKED SIDE DISH APPLESAUCE
I like to cook the apples until they are tender, but still irregular in shape and a bit chunky. And since this is a side dish and not a dessert, I don’t use very much sugar, just enough to pull out the flavor of the apples.
Start to finish: 45 minutes
Servings: 8
4 pounds tart apples, such as Granny Smith or Pink Lady (a combination is great)
1/2 to 1 cup sugar (depending on desired sweetness)
1/4 teaspoon salt
Zest and juice of 1 lemon (about 1/4 cup juice)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1/4 cup apple brandy (such as Calvados)
Peel, core and quarter the apples, then place them in a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven or large saucepan.
Sprinkle 1/2 cup of the sugar, the salt, lemon zest and juice, and the cinnamon over the apples. Toss gently. Cover the pot and set over low-medium heat.
Every 5 minutes, stir the apples until they begin to release their juices and start to break down, about 15 to 20 minutes. If the apples seem too dry, add water a couple tablespoons at a time, and continue to cook until tender. Taste. If the apples are too tart for you, add more sugar.
Add the butter and apple brandy. Stir vigorously until the apples are the texture of a rough applesauce. You want it to be chunky. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 5 minutes. Taste again. Serve hot, room temperature or cold.