Sunday Suppers

Apple Crisp

It’s eleven days until Christmas. Eleven. AAA! Where did the time go? In the last six weeks, I’ve been cooking, baking, decorating, celebrating the holidays… but apparently not blogging.

I have several recipes lined up to compensate for my absence, starting with this apple crisp. I know it’s not Christmasy per se, and if I’m honest it’s not the most beautiful dessert I’ve ever made, but this baby is a workhorse. It’s understated, simple, and a great finish to any meal. Serve with ice cream, a splash of cream, or just by itself. Or as leftovers for breakfast.

Use at least a couple kinds of apples — tender apples cook down and make a bubbly sauce, while firm apples give a pie filling consistency.

Apple Crisp

Adapted from The Apple Lovers’ Cookbook, by Amy Traverso

Serves 8-10

5 large tender-tart apples (about 2 1/2 pounds), peeled, cored, and cut into 1/4″ slices (try McIntosh or Jonathan)
5 large firm-sweet apples (about 2 1/2 pounds), peeled, cored, and cut into 1/4″ slices (try Jazz, Jonagold, Pink Lady, or Honeycrisp)
2 tsp cinnamon, divided
2 cups (290 g) all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 cup (210 g) sugar
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup (1 stick) salted butter, melted and cooled

Preheat oven to 350 degrees with a rack in the middle position. Toss apples with 1 teaspoon cinnamon and arrange in a 9×13 baking dish (no need to grease); set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour baking powder, salt, sugar and remaining 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Add beaten eggs and use a fork, pastry cutter, or your fingers to work the batter until crumbly. The mixture should look like streusel (don’t worry, it’s not too dry!).

Spread topping evenly over the apples. Drizzle all over with melted butter. Bake until the topping is golden brown and apple juices are bubbling, 45-55 minutes. Let cool 20 minutes. Serve warm.

Filipino Pork and Noodles

Pig is totally underrated. I mean, sure, everybody is obsessed with bacon, but beyond that, how much credit does little Hamlet get?

Maybe it’s just me, but pork seems to be more popular in international cuisine than American (beyond barbecue ribs, pulled pork, and the aforementioned bacon). In some ways this recipe reminds me of pork butt, the basis of pulled pork barbecue, but with a unique flavor profile, pulling from the soy sauce, vinegar and jalapeños.

Center loin is just pork chops before they’re sliced. The meat cooks low and slow in a slow cooker, and the prep time is less than 15 minutes. Try mashed potatoes or even mashed cauliflower in place of egg noodles.

If you’re expecting leftovers, strain the cooking broth and pour at least some of it over the meat before packing it up in the refrigerator — you’ll want that extra broth when you reheat the meat.

Filipino Pork and Noodles

From The Wanderlust Kitchen

1.75 lb lean pork center loin
1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/3 cup water
5 cloves garlic, peeled crushed
6 peppercorns, crushed
5 whole bay leaves
2 jalapeños, stemmed and seeded, chopped

Place pork, soy sauce, vinegars, water, garlic, ground pepper, bay leaves, and jalapeños in a 3 quart or large slow cooker. Cover and cook on low heat for 7 to 8 hours. Remove the pork, shred with two forks and put it back in the crock pot for another half hour to soak up some flavors from the sauce.

Cook the egg noodles according to manufacturer’s instructions (omitting any butter or salt). Remove and discard the bay leaves from the slow cooker. Serve the pork over the egg noodles.

Chicken with Apple Brandy Sauce (Poulet Vallée d’Auge)

It’s apple season, and I’m in heaven. Last weekend I was finally able to get out to the orchards to pick apples, but I spent the next three days on the road. The apples have been taunting me ever since.

But right now it’s raining, I have nowhere to be, and this recipe was calling to me from my to-do list.

Poulet Vallée d’Auge is a traditional French recipe from the Normandy region (I say that as if I have any idea what that actually means…) combining apples and Calvados, or apple brandy, with chicken and mushrooms. I *love* apples in savory dishes, and this one did not disappoint.

You can pull it off on a weeknight — plan for about 90 minutes of cooking time — but I’d lean toward a crisp fall weekend. Serve with potatoes or rice (or skip the starch altogether, like I did), and green beans.

Poulet Vallée d’Auge

(Chicken and Apples in Brandy Cream Sauce)

Adapted from Bon Appetit
Serves 4

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
2 small to medium firm-tart apples, peeled, cored, quartered
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 chicken (3 1/2-4 lbs), quartered
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 small leek, white and pale-green parts only, halved lengthwise, sliced crosswise ¼” thick
2 small or 1 large shallot, finely chopped
1/4 cup Calvados (or other apple brandy)
2/3 cup apple cider
2 sprigs thyme
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 pound crimini (baby bella) mushrooms, trimmed, halved
1/2 cup crème fraîche or sour cream
1 large egg yolk

Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add apples and cook, turning occasionally, until golden in spots, 10–12 minutes. Transfer apples to a plate and set aside.

Increase heat to medium-high and add oil to pot. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Working in batches, cook chicken until browned, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to another plate; set aside.

Add leek and shallots to pot; cook, stirring often, until softened, about 4 minutes. Remove pot from heat, add Calvados, and ignite with a long match or lighter. After flames die down, return pot to heat and add cider. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until slightly reduced, about 3 minutes.

Return reserved chicken to pot and add thyme, bay leaf, and broth. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, cover pot, and simmer, adding reserved apples back to pot halfway through, until chicken is cooked through, 20–25 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and cook, tossing occasionally, until browned and softened, 6–8 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Transfer mushrooms to a plate.

Whisk crème fraîche and egg yolk in a small bowl. Using a slotted spoon, transfer chicken and apples to a baking sheet and remove pot from heat. Whisk crème fraîche mixture into cooking liquid in pot. Gently mix in chicken, apples, and mushrooms.