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Recipe Detail Page
Saffron, Vanilla Poached Apples
Autumn 2004
Apples are usually baked and pears poached. I was reading Marieke Brugman's recipe for poached pears, which sounded delicious when I decided that I would try it with apples. Cutting the apples in half exposes the beautiful star pattern of the seeds, creating a dish that is visually stunning if a little more time consuming to eat.
Serves 6
½ tsp (2 mL) loosely packed saffron stamens
2 cups (500 mL) water
2 cups (500 mL) dry white wine
2 cups (500 mL) granulated sugar
1 small vanilla bean, split
6 cooking apples
1. In a deep-sided frying pan, toast the saffron over medium heat until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the water, wine and sugar. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Once the sugar is dissolved, boil for 1 minute, remove from heat, and then add the vanilla bean.
2. Peel the apples, then cut them in half horizontally and trim the stem. Add the apple halves to the saffron liquid, turning several times to coat with the liquid. Simmer gently over a low heat for 20 minutes, basting the apples every 5 minutes. If the apples are not tender, continue to simmer gently until cooked.
3. When the apples are cooked, remove them from the heat and let them cool in the liquid, turning once or twice. Remove the apples from the liquid and place them in a serving dish. Bring saffron poaching liquid to a boil and boil for 5 minutes until reduced and syrupy, then pour over the apples. Serve the apples at room temperature or chilled.
Serves 6
