October 11, 2012 in The Ingredient, Apples: 1 Ingredient, 3 Chef Creations. Vote for your favourite.
An Apple A Day...
Which of these three recipes look most appetising to you? Vote on your favourite now!
Apple and Lobster Carpaccio with Mizuna Salad
Ahmed Sleiman
Executive Chef of Four Seasons Hotel Riyadh
Granny Smith, Yuzu and Kaffir Lime Bubble Tea
Grégoire Michaud
Pastry Chef of Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong
Berkshires Taco with Cider-Braised Pork Tenderloin
Brooke Vosika
Executive Chef of Four Seasons Hotel Boston
“New York is a major apple state, second only to Washington in domestic yield, with Hudson Valley orchards picking about eight million bushels of fruit annually,” explains John Johnson, executive chef at Four Seasons Hotel New York.
So it was apropos that the apple — fragrant, juicy and voluptuous, ripe and in season now in the U.S. — is the star of the Taste launch at Four Seasons Hotel New York November 6. Chef Johnson has been tasked with coordinating the three Four Seasons chefs, each preparing his own wildly creative recipes starring… the apple.
| SEASON: | Autumn. |
| REGION: | One of the world’s most widely cultivated fruit trees.) In Asia, North America and Europe; respectively, China, the U.S. (Washington and New York states), Turkey, Italy, India and Poland. |
| TASTE: | Sweet, though flavour can vary from tart to spicy. |
| SELECTION: | First, ID your aim: eating or baking? If eating, choose a firm, ripe apple—the rounder, the better—with no discolouration, bruises or squishy spots. Ask your grocer which varieties are best for eating and which for baking. |
| PREPARATION: | Use raw, bake, roast, poach, sauté, grill. |
Flavour Profile
Grégoire Michaud
Pastry Chef
As a pastry chef, there are hundreds of different ways for us to use apple; that said, baked apples or apple tart are still my favourites. And while most of the world uses a very limited number of apples, it is worth considering the 7,500-plus varieties available. Possibilities are endless; the features and taste profiles of each apple is a new canvas for us to create upon.
Apples are simple, yet noble, and never fail to impress. Bite into one. Depending on the varietal, it’s not far-fetched to say the taste can be reminiscent of alpine strawberries. Or pecans. A honey scent, sure. And the skin? Green with crimson stripes. Or mottled burgundy. Or crimson dusted with opaque white. The apple can retain flavour and texture through cooking. Each one can possess more intense, unusual flavours and aromas than another: exceptional and varied, ranging from fragrant and sweet to tart or spicy. Pair with other foods to create distinctive taste combinations and add sweetness, or serve as a dessert.
Benefits
“An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” Can they all be wrong? Apples contain antioxidants, compounds which help our bodies combat disease. Apples are packed with pectin, a fibre: 4 grams in a medium-sized one. And if that's not enough, chomping on apples helps reduce tooth decay and reduces your chance of getting Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and cancer.
See Executive Chef John Johnson's Shaved Heirloom Apple Salad with Sicilian Pistachio and Bacon Dressing recipe and his famous Spiced Duck Steak, Shinsu Apples and Kale with Cider Dressing recipe.
COMMENTS
The secret of joy in work is contained in one word-excellence.(Chef Ahmed)
Comment by HAMDI JOE on January 8, 2013 at 9:47 pm
Very good
Comment by nasim najeh on January 6, 2013 at 2:41 pm