Apple cheddar pie

I went apple picking a couple of weeks ago. I bought cheddar at the farm store.

'Nuff said.



INGREDIENTS:
- a double pie crust (recipe coming soon)
- 3 lbs of apples
- 1 cup of brown sugar
- 2 tbsp of corn starch
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
- a pinch of ground cloves
- a pinch of salt
- 4 oz sharp cheddar
- not pictured: 1 egg, whisked with a tbsp of water
- optionnal: a pinch of granulated sugar


RECIPE:
- preheat your oven at 425F
- peel, core and slice the apples thinly (I used a mandolin for perfect uniform slices)

Note: if you want, you can sprinkle a little lemon juice on the apples here to keep them from browning too much
- add the sliced apples, sugar, starch and spices to a large bowl and mix until the apple slices are well coated with the spice mixture

- roll out the first crust, place in a buttered pie dish and grate the cheddar

- pour the apple filling into the dish, sprinkle a healthy dose of grated cheddar on top and cover with the second rolled crust

- trim the excess dough (leave about 1 inch of dough around the dish), press the top and bottom dough together so they seal, tuck the dough under and crimp away!

- with a sharp knife, make a few slits on top the the pie crust to allow steam to escape during baking, brush over with a little egg wash and sprinkle with granulated sugar

- bake at 425F for 25 minutes, then lower the heat to 350F and bake for an additional 30 minutes
- ta-da!!!

Tarte Tatin (Upside down apple pie)

This famous French upside-down apple pie is not only delicious, but extremely easy to make! The best thing about it is that you cannot mess it up, because it already is "messed up" pie!

The legend says that one day, the Tatin sisters were busy cooking in their kitchen and one of the sisters forgot to put the dough before the apples in her pie. Realizing that she had started to bake a crust-less pie, she lay the crust on top of the apples mid-baking and turned it upside down to serve it :)

Serendipity right there if you ask me! The penicillin of desserts.

I am not a sweet tooth by any means, and would much rather end a meal on cheese. But put a warm slice of Tarte Tatin in front of me, with a dollop of cold creme fraiche (no vanilla ice-cream nonsense for me!), and I'll sell my soul to the Devil.

Here's how you can make this amazing and universally appreciated dessert.


INGREDIENTS:
- 1/2 quantity of pie crust (see a similar recipe here, just omit the lemon zest)
- 1/2 stick of butter
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 6-8 apples, depending on their size and how packed you want the apple pattern to be when you turn it upside down (I ended up using 7 medium Honeycrisp apples; Golden delicious are good too)


RECIPE:
- preheat your oven at 375F
- on a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to the size of the dish you will be baking the pie in

- in a cast iron skillet, melt the butter and sugar until frothy

Note: if you want your apples to come out a little darker, you can wait until the first stage of caramel, but do not overcook the caramel at this stage, since it will continue to cook in the oven and might result in a burnt-tasting bitter pie
- peel, core and half the apples, add them cut side up in the skillet and cover with the dough, making sure to tuck the extra bits!

- transfer the skillet to the oven and bake for 30-45 minutes, or until the crust is lightly golden

- let it cool a few minutes before turning the pie upside down on a serving plate

Note: mine was not as sticky as I would have liked it. The caramel was not thick enough for my taste and I should have let it cool down longer in the oven, turned off with the door propped open. It was still delicious though!
- serve warm, with a dollop of creme fraiche or sour cream on top


Heavenly.

A busy weekend

Hey everyone!

I've been MIA for a while now... Here's a quick photo update of my weekend, culinary-wise :)

Roasted Bell Peppers Soup

Roast 6-7 bell peppers (I used all colors: green, yellow and red) directly on the flame until they charr. Then put them immediately in a plastic bag (ziplock works wonders) and close tightly. Let them sit for a while, and the skin will come right off when you peel them.

Peel the peppers and chop them up in small strips. Chop up an onion and a clove of garlic. Pell and cube two small potatoes.

In a deep pot, melt some butter and fry the onion and garlic until transparent and tender. Then add the peppers, a sprig of thyme (I used fresh, but dried works fine too), the potatoes and 4 cups of chicken stock.

Simmer for 30 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked through. Puree with a stick blender, and serve piping hot with a splash of thick cream and sprinkled with fresh thyme leaves. Enjoy!

Tarte Tatin

Peel and quarter 5-7 apples (use sweet apples, not sour like the Granny Smith). Scrub the quarters with lemon juice so that they do not oxidize. arrange them in the bottom of a cake from (make them in a pretty pattern, as you will see that pattern when you turn the pie upside down for serving).

In a frying pan, melt 2 1/2 oz unsalted butter and 3/4 cup of caster sugar. cook until it forms a golden brown caramel, and pour over the apple quarters in the cake form. The caramel will set really fast on the cold apples and become crunchy. No problem! When the apples bake, they will release some moisture and the caramel will melt and cook with the apples. Lay down a sheet of pastry (whichever kind you like) over the apples and bake for 35-40 minutes in a pre-warmed oven at 365F). Bon appetit!

Chicken Pot Pie

Roast 4 seasoned (salt, pepper olive oil) boneless thighs of chicken in a 350F oven for about 40 minutes.

Put the thighs aside and deglaze the juices from the dish with 2 cups of chicken stock. Reserve the liquid.

Slice and cook a handful of button mushrooms in a little butter until golden brown. Put aside.

In a deep pot, melt about a half a stick of unsalted butter (~ 5tsp) and mix in 1/3 cup of flour. Cook the flour gently (the mixture will bubble up and fluff), then add the chickn stock and immediately stir until it thickens and add the chopped up chicken, 3 carrots (sliced), the mushrooms and about a cup and a half of frozen peas. Transfer into an oven safe dish and cover with puff pastry. Bake for 30-40 minutes, until the pastry is fluffy and golden brown. Enjoy!