Apple Galette with Fennel Ice Cream
I love all kind of apple desserts but this one takes the prize.This version of tarte aux pommes has extra love under the hood with a layer of frangipane underneath the apples and a delicious fennel ice cream as a sidekick. Doesn’t look like much but it’s as good as it gets, and it’s ridiculously easy to make.
Ladies and gentlemen, let me uncover the prize… ziiiip (err.. sorry for the cheesy sound effects. This is a low budget blog).
Don’t you envy those apples? I really do! This brutal cold weather makes me want to encase myself in buttery puff pastry and bake for an hour at 375′F before heading out every morning. Would a giant walking turnover be accepted by society? I wonder. I surely see plenty of advantages, the warmth, the extra room in the subway,the butter drippings, the ready-to-wear snacks, the cute nicknames people give you (ie: pig in a blanket), the free ride in a police car, the cover of the New York Post… etc. Wouldn’t it be awesome!? I mean, really!??
[blogospheric silence and sirens in the distance]
Apple Galette with Fennel Ice Cream
(serves 4)
Ice cream:
- 2 bulbs fennel, use trimmings for garnish
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 vanilla bean
- 5 egg yolks
- 1/2 cup sugar
- Fennel seeds for garnish
Frangipane:
- 6 tbs unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 3/4 cup ground almond
- 2 tbs all-purpose flour
- 1 egg
Galette:
- 1 sheet high quality puff pastry
- 3 or 4 golden delicious apples, peeled and cored
- 2 tbs melted butter
- 2 tsp sugar mixed with 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
To prepare ice cream:
- Slice the fennel paper-thin using preferably a japanese mandoline. Keep fingers intact! Combine cream, milk, fennel and vanilla pulp in a saucepan. Bring to a boil.
- In a large bowl, whisk the yolks and sugar until it forms a ribbon when lifted. Temper the mixture with some of the hot cream mixture. Slowly add the remaining cream. Place the mixture back in the saucepan over low heat and stir constantly until it reaches 175′F (it will thicken enough to coat the back of a spoon). Remove from heat. Strain and cool. Refrigerate overnight. Freeze in ice-cream maker.
To prepare the frangipane:
- In the bowl of a food processor place butter and sugar and process until smooth. Add ground almonds and flour and process for 15 seconds. Add the egg and process until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to use.
To prepare the galette:
- Preheat oven to 400′F. Cut puff pastry into 6-inches rounds. Prick with a fork all over and keep refrigerated until ready to use.
- Slice apples thinly, about 1/8-inch thick, using a knife or a mandoline.
- Place 1 tablespoon of frangipane in the middle of the puff pastry rounds and spread around gently leaving a 1/2-inch border. Carefully place apple slices around the frangipane in a fan pattern. Drizzle melted butter over the apples and sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar. Bake for 20 minutes until the pastry is golden brown and apples are cooked.
- Serve with fennel ice cream sprinkled with fennel seeds and enjoy!
February 6th, 2009 at 8:53 am
Sounds so simple yet delicious! and fennel ice-cream? Hmm…that’s interesting…
February 6th, 2009 at 9:36 am
OH yea baby! This is a keeper. Fennel ice cream. Yum!
February 6th, 2009 at 10:21 am
fennel ice cream? I love it! i could go for some warm apple galette this morning!
February 6th, 2009 at 11:18 am
do you ever get tired of being painfully perfect?
February 6th, 2009 at 11:56 am
I would love a taste of this delicious fennel ice cream with the warm and wonderful apple galette! Yum!
February 6th, 2009 at 12:49 pm
id like 4 of these now…thank you!
send to Baltimore, stat!
February 6th, 2009 at 1:45 pm
Hey zenchef, that's what I'm talking about! Fennel icecream all over! Yah! (sorry…to excited) Hey ever visit Oregon, look me up. I'll drag you out to a few farm restaurants and the Oregon coast for some dungeness & geoduck! -cheffjonny
February 6th, 2009 at 1:49 pm
That does sound easy. If you decide to turn into a human turn over, can I get the recipe to put it in my incoming “How to cook everything in a Great Depression” cookbook? HA!
February 6th, 2009 at 1:49 pm
Looks amazingly delicious. I’ve got to try that fennel ice cream pronto!!
February 6th, 2009 at 2:09 pm
The fennel ice cream sounds a little strange, but I bet it’s good. I also love your Apple Galette. Yummy!
February 6th, 2009 at 2:25 pm
Sounds wonderful…the fun flavor combo!
February 6th, 2009 at 2:29 pm
…women with a “i’m gonna take a bite out of you” look in their eye,… Ahhh, if only. Cool post though.
February 6th, 2009 at 2:38 pm
Fennel ice cream puts this dessert over the top. Genius!
February 6th, 2009 at 4:08 pm
Fennel ice cream sounds amazing. I’ve got to make some
February 6th, 2009 at 8:56 pm
did you just say fennel ice cream?
you better submit this to ben and jerry’s. this could be the nextr big thing.
February 7th, 2009 at 1:01 am
Thank you for visiting my blog. I’m so excited you did because now I’ve found yours. Fennel ice cream sounds like a lovely contrast with the apple galette. I made a basil ice cream this summer and was fascinated by it. I’m sure your fennel ice cream would be equally fascinating.
February 7th, 2009 at 1:41 am
Good grace, this is just beautiful and intriguing indeed. I got to try that fennel ice cream. Love fennel bulb very much, my fridge never absent from it. Though I never cook fennel bulb (always it it fresh), I am quite wiling to try it for the ice cream. I bet it smells wonderful. Did I mention I love frangipane too. Love all of this combination.
Cheers,
Elra
February 7th, 2009 at 3:16 am
hee hee…you’re cute.
I never though fennel ice cream would look so good. Apple galette is certainly my favourite dessert!
um. One draw-back of being encased in buttery puff pastry: getting the crusties:P
February 8th, 2009 at 1:45 pm
Besides being beautiful, the fennel ice cream sounds very intriguing. Must try it as fennel is in season at the moment.
February 8th, 2009 at 6:20 pm
Hmm, never have I come across the delights of fennel ice cream… but if the Zen Chef thinks it’s good, then this must be so! Onward we go to fennel ice cream land!
February 8th, 2009 at 11:43 pm
This sounds like an amazing dessert, I love a good apple galette, but the fennel adds some intrigue. What about candied fennel seeds on top or even better fennel pollen.
February 9th, 2009 at 10:05 am
Zen, the star here is the ice cream. I can imagine taking some crust along with the ice cream in my mouth…then some apple…yep!
February 9th, 2009 at 10:36 am
Seriously? fennel icecream!? I just can’t “picture” it
February 9th, 2009 at 1:25 pm
Beautiful tart. I wouldn’t mind wrapping myself in puff pastry either.
I’m blown away with your fennel ice cream. Very creative. It’s one of my favorite vegetables in one of my favorite desserts.
February 9th, 2009 at 1:48 pm
Just look awesome and delicious
February 9th, 2009 at 2:09 pm
fennel icecream? wow, that sounds yummy! this is such a unique flavor, totally creative.
February 10th, 2009 at 12:24 am
Looks fantastic! What kind of ice cream maker do you use? the bowl of mine takes up 1/4 of my freezer so I never have it ready when I want to make ice cream.
February 10th, 2009 at 3:27 pm
Eaaarghh! Nooo! You… unzipped the prize?! Ha ha ha
While I can’t predict what kind of friendship I would have with someone who smelled like butter all the time, I certainly wouldn’t turn away someone who can make such a lovely (and don’t be falsely humble now!) tart!
February 11th, 2009 at 6:32 pm
This is also my favourite kind of apple pie, with franjipane underneath. Love the pairing with the fennel ice cream! You are such a genious sometimes! Only sometimes, eh!
February 11th, 2009 at 8:18 pm
so like, i’d totally kill for this…
and i’m serious
this sounds perfect
chef, you’re infallible – i just bow down to your amazingness
February 13th, 2009 at 6:24 pm
you are a great cook and it shows again on this desert well presented and deliciously simple yet full of flavours and contrast…well done…where is your restaurant…hehe
May 11th, 2009 at 3:51 am
I made it yesterday and it was delicious! Thanks fot the recipe.