One Good Recipe: Maple Syrup and Porter-Poached Apples
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PG tested
This recipe mixes apples with maple syrup and beer. I made this with food editor Bob Batz Jr. and homes and gardens editor Kevin Kirkland at this fall's Steel City Big Pour at Construction Junction, where it was a hit.
The original recipe called for poaching whole, cored apples in several cups of beer and syrup. We needed something that would cook up fast and serve a crowd, so opted instead for sliced apples with just enough liquid to soften them.
We used McIntosh apples from Dawson's Orchards and a new apple, SnowSweet, from Paul's Orchard. Porter is a style of beer that is relatively rare, but we used easy-to-find Edmund Fitzgerald Porter from Cleveland's Great Lakes Brewing Co. (We also made a great batch using East End Brewing Co.'s Black Strap Stout.) The maple syrup came from a tree in my yard. How's that for local?
-- Gretchen McKay
- 8 baking apples
- 6 ounces porter or other dark ale
- 1/4 cup Pennsylvania maple syrup
- Juice of 1/2 lemon, plus additional for adding to water
- 1/2 teaspoon mace
- 1 cinnamon stick
- Fresh seasonal berries for garnish
Wash, core and slice apples to 1/4-inch thickness. (You should get at least 12 slices per apple.) Place in cold water mixed with lemon juice to prevent browning.
Bring porter, maple syrup, lemon juice, mace and cinnamon stick to a boil. Reduce to a simmer; add sliced apples and saute for 6 to 8 minutes, or until apples begin to soften.
Remove apples from liquid with a slotted spoon, and divide among 6 plates. Garnish with Maple Whipped Cream, Cinnamon Toasted Oats and fresh seasonal berries.
Makes 6 servings.
-- Adapted from "The Best of American Beer & Food: Pairing & Cooking with Craft Beer" by Lucy Saunders (Brewers, 2007)
Cinnamon Toasted Oats
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- 1 cup whole oats
- 3 tablespoons melted butter
- 1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
- Pinch salt
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine ingredients and spread on a lined baking sheet. Toast oats until golden brown, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Makes 1 cup.
Maple Whipped Cream
PG tested
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons Vermont maple syrup
Place ingredients in a cold, stainless steel bowl. Whip slowly until stiff peaks form. Use immediately or refrigerate until needed.
Makes 2 cups.
First Published November 21, 2011 12:00 am
