Apples Sautéed in Rosemary Caramel with Apple Cider Reduction
from Shuna LydonServes 8
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup Apple cider
1 ½ cups Sugar
½ cup Light corn syrup
¼ cup Water
1 ¼ cup Heavy Whipping Cream (not ultra-pasteurized)
2 tsp Kosher salt
1 sprig Fresh rosemary, still on stem
4 Golden Delicious apples
PREPARATION:
Take 1 cup apple cider and pour into stainless steel saucepan. Over a medium flame boil until liquid has turned into a dense syrup, approximately ¼ cup. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
To make caramel you will need a heavy bottomed stainless steel saucepan that is large enough to safely handle all the ingredients and still have room to expand. In this saucepan, pour in the sugar and then the water. With one hand work these two ingredients together until it feels like wet sand. Either with a pastry brush or your hand scrape down the sides of the pan so that there are no stray granules of sugar on the sides. Pour corn syrup into the middle of the sugar and water mixture. Do not stir.
Put on stove over high flame. Caramel needs consistent heat. Do not move the saucepan once it has begun. You need to stay close because you are waiting for the caramel to take color. Sometimes one side will color before the entire mixture is uniform and it is important to watch and stay close so that when this occurs it does not burn. When it turns golden it is safe to whisk. This will distribute the color and it will help you to see what color it actually is and how fast it is turning. What we are looking for is deep reddish brown.
At this point pour in all the cream. Stand back and be careful because the mixture will rise and double and sputter about. When it calms a bit, start whisking (less than 30 seconds). It will clump up a bit from the shock of the cream and then smooth out and start to boil again. Boil caramel, whisking occasionally, for about 10 minutes. Turn off heat and whisk in kosher salt. Whisk in rosemary stalk, and let caramel sit for about one half hour.
Taste test with spoon and see if it needs more salt or rosemary flavor. Once you have reached desired rosemary flavor, pull stalk out. Bring to room temperature or cool in refrigerator, uncovered. Cover only when caramel is uniformly chilled. Caramel will keep in refrigerator for up to one month.
Peel, halve, & core Golden Delicious apples. Slice halves into 5 evenly cut pieces. Heat up 6-8 inch sauté pan. Spoon or ladle 3 ounces of caramel into hot pan. Swirl around until all the caramel is boiling. Pour in about 10-13 pieces of apple. Sauté, continuously swirling and flipping, until caramel has reduced. Apples can be eaten right away or kept, uncovered, for about 24 hours. Serve apples with apple cider reduction and vanilla ice cream, unsweetened whip cream, pound cake, or eaten right out of the pan with a wicked smile.