Spice-roasted apples and pears Recipe | 4Food

Date Published:: 04/09/2007

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Gordon Ramsay and his brigade of amateur chefs served this recipe as a dessert to diners in the F Word restaurant.

Serves 4

Ingredients

Apples and pears

4 firm apples (eg Braeburn)
4 firm pears (eg Conference)
75g caster sugar
2 cinnamon sticks
1 tsp cloves
3 star anise
1 tsp black peppercorns, lightly crushed
25g slightly salted butter
Splash of Calvados
100ml apple juice
Madeleines and vanilla ice cream, to serve

Madeleines - makes about 20

2 eggs
1 tsp demerara sugar
30g caster sugar
40g runny honey
Seeds from 1 vanilla pod
100g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp Chinese-5-spice
120g butter, melted and at room temperature, plus extra for greasing
Icing sugar, to dust

Method: How to make spice-roasted apples and pears

1. Core the apples and pears using an apple corer, then peel off the skins. Cut the apples into quarters and halve the pears.

2. Scatter the sugar over the base of a wide, heavy, non-stick frying pan and place over a high heat until it melts and begins to caramelise around the edge of the pan. Add the spices, followed by the butter. Tip the pan from side to side to mix the caramel and butter together. Take care as the caramel may spit and splatter.

3. Add the apples and pears, cut side down. Fry for about 5–7 minutes until evenly caramelised, turning them several times. Add a splash of Calvados and stand back as the alcohol may flambé.

4. Pour in the apple juice and let bubble until the liquid has reduced and thickened to a syrupy sauce. Take off the heat and leave to cool slightly.

5. Divide the fruit among warm plates and spoon over the caramel sauce. Serve with Madeleines and vanilla ice cream.

6. For the Madeleines, use an electric beater to whisk the eggs, sugars, honey and vanilla seeds together in a bowl until the mixture is pale and thick enough to leave a ribbon trail.

7. Sift the flour, baking powder and spices into another bowl. Gradually fold into the whisked eggs until evenly incorporated. Slowly slip the cooled butter down the side of the bowl and fold in very gently and carefully. Cover and set aside.

8. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 190˚C/gas 5. Lightly grease a 12-hole Madeleine or bun tray with a little butter. Dust with flour and shake out the excess. Spoon the Madeleine mixture into the prepared tins, making sure the moulds are only two-thirds full.

9. Bake for 7-8 minutes until the tops are just firm and springy to the touch, Leave in the tins for 2 minutes before tipping them out onto a wire rack to cool. Repeat with the remaining mixture. Dust lightly with icing sugar to serve. Madeleines are best served freshly baked.