This
recipe comes to us from www.recipeinterrupted.com.
The demonstration is shown by Oakland Community College student Billy Genterola, who
just won the Nationals in USA Skills for Frome Houser service this past summer.
Serves 4
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Ingredients
2 apples, peeled, cored, and
cut into ½-inch rings
½ cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons butter
¼ cup Calvados (French apple
brandy)
Vanilla ice cream
Instructions
1. Dip the apple slices in the
sugar so they are coated lightly.
2. Preheat a pan over
medium-high heat. Add butter. When the butter has melted, add the apple slices
and cook until somewhat softened and the sugar begins to caramelize, for about
5 -7 minutes, turning the apples over halfway through the cooking time. They
will not brown, though the caramelized sugar will give them a golden tint.
3. Turn off the stove, drizzle
the Calvados over the apples. With the lid in one hand and the match in the
other, stand back and light the edge of the pan. The flame will go out when the
alcohol is burned off. If you want to retain some of the alcoholic content and
flavor, cover the pan to extinguish the fire.
4. After the flame is out, set
the burner on medium-low and let the sauce that has formed, reduce to a thick
syrup.
5. Serve the apples with ice
cream, spooning the caramel-y sauce around them.
Safety precautions
- Keep kids out of the kitchen while you do this
- Always keep a fire extinguisher in the kitchen
- Make sure there is nothing flammable near the stove
(including above it – the flames could reach pretty high)
- Use a pan with raised sides to contain the flames, but
not so deep that you have to reach your hand inside the pan to light the flame
- Have a lid ready to cover the flame
- Don't use a liquor with higher than 40% alcohol
- Wear your hair tied back and a silicone oven mitt
- Light the edge of the pan, not the center
- Use a long match to keep your fingers away from the
fire
- Move the pan off the heat when you light it
- Ignite the fumes above the liquid; you don't need to
actually light the alcohol directly
