Ingredients
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 4 Rome or Granny Smith apples, peeled and sliced
- Thin zest of 1 orange
- 8 slices of foie gras
- 8 slices of brioche crostini
Method
- In a small, heavy bottomed saucepan, combine the sugar and water. Cook over high heat and stir until the mixture comes to a boil. Once the mixture boils, stop stirring and cook until it caramelizes to a deep golden color.
- Carefully pour the hot caramel into the bottom of a small loaf pan.
- Layer thin-sliced apples over the caramel along with some of the orange zest.
- Wrap the apples and pan tightly with plastic wrap. Then wrap it again with tin foil.
- Bake in a water bath at 300˚F 6 to 8 hours.
Serve the apples with foie gras paté on toasted brioche.
“There’s something about New York and apples,” says Claire Winslow, owner of The Would in Highland. The restaurant, located on an old apple orchard, provides the ideal setting in which to enjoy the bounty of a Hudson Valley autumn. Chef Fred Kormann slow roasts apples with lemon zest and sage. As the apples roast, they caramelize, giving them a smooth, buttery flavor. The apple “confit” is a primary component in one of The Would’s signature dishes: It’s paired with paté foie gras and served on elegant slices of toasted brioche. The richness and mild, gamey funk of foie gras pairs well with the fruity, jammy flavor of the apples, which also accent the natural sweetness in the meat. For an accompanying drink, try The Would’s apple cocktail: fresh apples muddled with bitters and sugar and finished with a splash of applejack. The potent concoction is like a sip of fall and guaranteed to keep you warm as the weather starts to change.
