food comas

I received this recipe from my chef friend Kei, as an complement dish to Roasted Beets with a Curry Vinaigrette.  All the flavors from the dishes are fairly intense, and they come together nicely in a unique sweet and salty combination.  I think I would love to enjoy these apples as a dessert by themselves, or maybe even add them to a salad for a hint of sweetness.

Poached Saffron Apples (courtesy of Kei Kurobe)

Yields: 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 4 Fuji apples
• 2 C water
• 1/2 C sugar
• 1 tbsp kosher salt
• Pinch of saffron
• 1 tsp fennel seed (optional)

Directions:

Cut apples into desired shapes (cubes, slices, melon balls… wherever creativity takes you).  To prevent the apples from browning too quickly from oxidation, soak the apples in a lemon water mixture and set aside.

In a small sauce pot, combine water, sugar, fennel seed, and salt and bring to a boil.  Once the mixture is boiling, add a pinch of saffron and let steep for five minutes.  The mixture should taste sweet but have a hint of salty taste in the back.

Pour the hot liquid onto your apples and chill.

You can enjoy these poached saffron apples with roasted beets, to add some pizazz to a salad, or as a sweet treat by themselves!