5 large apples
1 1/2 cup fennel bulb
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup apple cider
1 1/2 tbsp sambuca (anise liqueur)
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp salt
TOPPING
2 tsp sugar
12 hazelnuts
1 3/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 oz cold shortening
3 oz cold unsalted butter
4 tbsp ice water
Directions
Peel and core apples and cut into 1/2-inch slices. Dice fennel. Toast
and peel hazelnuts. Cut butter into 1/2-inch pieces.
Combine apples, fennel, lemon juice, honey, cider, sambuca, nutmeg,
allspice and salt in a bowl; toss gently to combine. Cover and set
aside.
Topping: Combine sugar, nuts, flour and salt in a processor. Pulse
until nuts are finely ground. Add shortening and butter and pulse
until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add water, 1 tablespoon at a
time, pulsing briefly after each addition. Continue adding water
until mixture holds together when pinched between your fingers. Do
not overmix or the dough will be tough. Pat into a disc, wrap in
plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Spoon the apple mixture into a 9 x 13-inch glass baking dish. Roll
out the dough on a lightly floured surface to a 9 x 13-inch
rectangle; gently lay the dough over the fruit, tucking in the edges.
Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and, using a spoon or
spatula, break crust into 3- or 4-inch irregular squares. Press
pieces into the apples, "dowdying" the appearance of the dish. Return
to oven and bake for 20 minutes, until well browned. Let cool 15
minutes before serving.
Source: The San Francisco Chronicle, November 22, 1995
Servings: 10 servings
Apple & Fennel Pandowdy Recipe brought to you by Recipe Ideas
Categories: Apple; Fruit
The History of Recipes
Experts have proved the existence of recipes way back into history, at least as far as the ancient Egyptians, and potentially, even further back. However, in the main part, these ancient recipes were just very simple hieroglyphic or cunieform recipes for preparing meals.
Fascinatingly, the oldest recipe found, according to academics are a few stone tablets in Sumerian which recount the preparation of bread which is then used to make a drink, quite possibly a form of beer as it is recorded as having made anyone who tried it feel `exhilarated, wonderful and blissful`. As we move into The time of the roman empire 25BC a roman called Apicius compiled a few documents describing recipes enjoyed by wealthy roman citizens. In his publication, he tells us how the meals were split into starters, main meal and desserts, a very modern way of dining. This early Roman chef informs us how the cooks of Roman times made use of a good variety of spices, including a few that are still present in modern kitchens for example basil, fennel and asafoetida. In the fifteenth century, people returning from the crusades brought us many spices and herbs from the East, including spices like basil and rosemary. These new herbs and spices was responsible for an eruption in books on cooking, most of which still exist in private collections. Over the following few hundred years, the rich and powerful families of Europe competed with each other to serve up the most exotic banquets, and as a result the best chefs and their collection of recipes were much in demand. Nevertheless, it was during the 19th century that fine cooking and recipe books became really popular. Mrs Isabella Beeton in the UK, and Fannie Farmer in the US, dedicated years of their lives to collecting, testing, and recording recipes of the day. By the arrival of the 20th century, cookery publications are in high demand, mostly due to increased literacy, people having increased spare time and having more disposable income. The introduction of television brings us cooking programs and the accompanying recipe books. Which brings us neatly up to date and the invention of the internet, allowing everybody to search through massive numbers of recipes such as those found on this web site. |
We hope you enjoy this Apple & Fennel Pandowdy recipe.
