Gratin de Pomme Verte (Green Apple Gratin)
There are infinite ways to cook apple but this is the most unusual apple recipe i have encountered so far. The dough (actually more of a batter) is really only there as connective tissue binding the apples together the same way Brad Pitt connects with Angelina Jolie and her 15 kids to form a seemingly happy family. The batter is not only sweet and creamy but adds contrasting texture and yummy cake flavors to the stack of apples that make up the body because let’s face it, this is like a wall of apple. Sweet apple bricks laid tightly one on top of the other. The body is super compressed but the texture of the gratin is all spongy, buttery, fruity goodness. Served as a dessert, the sweet round flavor lasts and gently finishes the meal with delicious satisfaction. A treasure!
By now you probably assume that i have sugar in my DNA and a sweet tooth the size of a giant lollipop and you’re certainly right. But i categorize this as a ‘healthier’ dessert alternative since the ratio of fresh apple to batter is 2 to 1. Here you have it mates!
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1 1/4 cups sugar
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2 eggs
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1 fresh vanilla bean, split and the seeds scraped
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1/2 cup whole milk
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1 stick butter
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5 Granny Smith apples
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2 teaspoons baking powder
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1/2 cup flour
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Preheat oven to 375′F
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Butter 4 eight-ounce ramequins or gratin dish (i like to use Le Creuzet)
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In a mixer bowl, put the sugar, the eggs and the vanilla seeds and beat at medium speed until the batter stretch like a ribbon, about 10 minutes
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Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, place the milk and the vanilla pod and heat gently
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In another small saucepan melt the butter gently
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Add the melted butter slowly to the egg mixture, then beat vigorously for a few seconds
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Add the milk slowly to the egg mixture (remove the pods first) and beat until smooth. The batter should have the consistency of a crepe batter, more or less
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Add baking powder and flour to the batter and beat 30 seconds until smooth
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Peel, quarter and core the apples and slice each quarter paper thin using a japanese mandolin (watch your fingers!)
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Fold gently the apples into the batter to bind. There should be a 2 to 1 ratio apple to batter
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Place the mixture in the prepared ramequins or gratin dish and bake 90 minutes or until a knife put through the center comes out clean
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Serve warm or at room temperature.
November 17th, 2007 at 2:00 am
wow.. the method is quite similar to my apple crumble recipe, just that it’s served dry..
November 17th, 2007 at 5:12 am
this apple gratin make me drooling..why on earth u love to torture us wth this kind of dessert?
even now this healthy dessert looked sexier than brad pitt…i must say…
November 17th, 2007 at 10:00 am
Mon Dieu. I’m SO making this for Thanksgiving.
November 17th, 2007 at 10:29 pm
Hi Annna!
You should try this. It looks simple but the taste is way sophisticated! It’s really really really good!
November 17th, 2007 at 10:36 pm
Chicken & pancakes…euhhh waffles, please do and let me know how it goes!
November 17th, 2007 at 11:49 pm
Well. I can’t decide if I covet the food or the green pot the most. Really… one of your most appealing photos to date.
November 17th, 2007 at 11:59 pm
Ann, Aren’t those pots great?
They are miniature Le Creuzet perfect for portion size and they cost only $12 a piece. Not bad!
November 18th, 2007 at 1:32 am
zen, i’ll add whipped cream on top of it and i will have this as my meal for the whole day!
November 18th, 2007 at 4:34 am
très différent du traditionnel gateau aux pommes, ta recette me plait beaucoup par son originalité! Et ta petite “casserole” est du plus bel effet! bravo chef
ciao
November 18th, 2007 at 12:40 pm
Merci Claude-olivier. C’est simple et original et surtout super bon!
Les casseroles Le creuzet me plaisent beaucoup aussi.
November 18th, 2007 at 3:08 pm
heya zen.
stumbled on your website, and as a foodie person I’ve to tell you that i’ll be visiting here from now onwards, so before i tire out with your old recipes you’d better have a new one posted! lol. great stuff here, keep it up!
November 18th, 2007 at 6:26 pm
Thanks Spinzer for putting pressure on my back! Haha
By the way, that’s a big microphone in front of you…oh but wait… errrr…Is it a microphone? Haha
hehehe…sorry I couldn’t resist, I authorize you to slap me in the face with a slimy dead fish.
November 18th, 2007 at 10:26 pm
*slaps Zen with a smily dead fish*
damn now that’s a waste of ammunition! and YES that’s a microphone taken at a studio, nothing at all like a long, black shaft of whatever you’re imagining! haha.. do drop by my blog as I review/cook up amateur stuff every now and then
November 18th, 2007 at 11:27 pm
*smelling a bit fishy*
Thanks for being good sport Spinzer! I will come and check out your blog now!
November 19th, 2007 at 10:12 am
hehe like your comparison with Brad Pitt.It is my first time here and i really enjoyed reading your post, not to mention the wonderful recipe. I’ve not experimented with cooking apples so this definately sounds easy and try-able !!
November 19th, 2007 at 5:19 pm
hullo
this looks fabulous , especially the “healthy” label, I can’t deny I’m attracted
Possibly will try it, or change with other fruit, knowing my innate curiosity and impossibility to follow an exact recipe for too long
cheers
November 24th, 2007 at 9:35 am
Looks like we have Le Creuset in common
I love the green dish! And it looks so wonderfully creamy…