Chef Bernards Reflections & Tips

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July 2008

Reflection:

The Loire River is one of the most beautiful bodies of water that snakes around Brittany and Anjou. Splendid orchards tower over the banks and are heaven for bees and fisherman alike. As a young boy, my father and I would fish for salmon – a prized catch with delicate, deep, red, rich flesh and quite a fight as well. My father was the skilled fisherman and I was the skilled little boy who would gather apples, pears, cherries, blackberries, apricots and peaches for our lunch. The “Demoiselle Tatin” lived in a small village close to the best fishing hole by the bridge in a cozy restaurant where they created the tarte tatin. A rich, buttery, caramelized apple cake topped with cool ice cream. With my bounty of fruit and berries, I would go home to my mother and bake our version of the scrumptious dessert that takes me back on this nostalgic road.

Tip:

• The best apples for baking are the granny smith, gala, Carolina Red June - Cox's Orange Pippin - Husk Spice - Jonagold - Jonathan - Lodi - Old Fashioned Limbertwig - Rambour Franc (AKA Summer Rambo) - Rhode Island Greening - Shenandoah - Spice of N. Georgia - Stayman - Summer Orange.

• Baking this recipe in a cast iron pan is best. It allows the caramel and apples to cook evenly.

• A great substitute for pistachio ice cream is praline, French vanilla or my favorite Cherry Garcia.

Recipe:

" Chef Bernard’s Apple Tarte Tatin "
Pistachio Ice Cream

serves eight

Pastry

1 cup sifted whole wheat flour
1 lemon, zested, juiced
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
1/3 cup butter, chilled, cubed
1 egg, beaten
2 tablespoons Lemoncello
Combine flour, lemon zest and poppy seeds in large mixing bowl. Cut in butter using fingertips or pastry cutter until mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Make well in center. Add egg, lemon juice and Lemoncello. Mix into soft dough. Shape into ball. Flatten to a 1-inch thick disk. Cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate 30 minutes.

Tarte Tatin

4 pounds medium-small sized granny smith or Jonagold
1 lemon, juiced
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 stick unsalted butter, diced
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 425°F. Peel, core and half apples. Toss with lemon juice. Spread half of sugar with cinnamon evenly in the bottom of a 9-inch cast-iron skillet. Scatter half of butter over sugar. Drizzle vanilla extract. Tightly arrange apple halves on their sides standing up in skillet in 2 concentric circles with all of the apples facing the same direction. Place 1 apple half in the center to fill the empty space.
Sprinkle remaining sugar evenly over apples. Dot with remaining butter. Place skillet on baking sheet. Bake in oven for 45 minutes. Roll pastry to 1/4-inch thick circle 11 inches in diameter. Place pastry over apples. Tuck overlapping dough into pan. Bake 30 minutes until pastry is golden brown and juices are bubbly. Remove from oven. Let rest 5 minutes. Place skillet over medium high heat. Cook for 1-2 minutes until caramel on the edges becomes mahogany brown. Remove from heat. Invert platter with the lip over the skillet. Quickly and carefully invert the tart on the platter so the apples are on top.
Serve warm.

Pistachio Ice Cream

1 cup shelled unsalted pistachios
1 cup sugar
12 large egg yolks
5 cups half and half
3 tablespoons pistachio oil
1/2 cup toasted pistachios
1/2 cup chopped 85% dark chocolate
Combine 1 cup pistachios with ½ cup sugar in food processor. Pulse to coarse meal. Whisk egg yolks and remaining sugar in large mixing bowl until pale yellow and ribbony. In large saucepan over medium heat add half and half. Bring to boil. Remove from heat. Slowly whisk into egg yolk mixture. Return to sauce pan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until custard thickens enough to coat back of a spoon or until 165° on candy thermometer. Strain through fine sieve into large bowl. Whisk in pistachio mixture and oil. Cool. Cover tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate 3 hours. Transfer to ice cream machine. Add toasted pistachios and chocolate. Freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions.
Transfer to serving bowl.