Aruns' stuffed, baked apples with ham hock, brandy dried fruits and Greek yoghurt
Ingredients
Serves 4
- 4 large apples, unpeeled
- 200g ham hock or leftover turkey, any meat or poultry, torn
- 1½ tsp Green Saffron’s Mixed Spice
- Zest of 1 lemon, juice of ½
- 70g butter, room temp, 5mm dice
- 1 tblsp olive oil, plus a little more
- 1tsp sea salt
- 1 large, whole free-range egg, lightly beaten
- 1 banana shallot, finely diced
- Large handful flat leaf parsley, finely sliced
- 50 to 75g fresh breadcrumbs
- 2 tblsp marmalade
Dried fruits
- 5 apricots, diced
- 4 dates stoned, chopped coarsely
- 4 figs dried, diced
- 2 tblsp golden sultanas, small pinch saffron threads (optional) all macerated in the juice of ½ Clementine and 30ml of brandy for at least 15 minutes.
Method
- Set your oven to 190˚C, gas mark 5
- Don't peel the apples, instead cut the top off each one then hollow them out using a melon baller scoop out and discard the pulp.
- In a bowl, mix the ham hock, spice blend, lemon zest, juice, butter, olive oil and salt. Mix gently, then leave covered in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- Add the egg, shallot and the macerated fruits, the parsley, gently mix, add the crumb bit by bit so moist, not wet.
- Correct the seasoning, then spoon the mix into each apple, packing generously so the farce overflows.
- Bake the stuffed apples in a shallow, but heavy baking tray for 20 to 25 minutes or until the apples only just collapse.
- In a small pan, add 1 tblsp water to the marmalade and heat to a pouring consistency, paint the apples all over with the marmalade sauce, pop back into the oven for 2 mins, then remove. Set aside.
To Serve
Place an apple in warmed, small fruit bowls, a big dollop of Greek yoghurt on top. Yum!
