Ingredients:
- 4 apples 2 green, 2 red
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons honey
- fresh thyme
Directions:
- Core the apples and slice each one length-wise.
- Place sliced apples into a large bowl, add brown sugar, cinnamon, and lemon juice, and mix. Let apples sit for about 15 minutes to release juices.
- In a large pan, heat 2 tablespoons of butter on high heat. Add sliced apples (without juice at the bottom of the pan) and cook on high heat for about 3 or 5 minutes, checking periodically. After 3 or 5 minutes, flip the sliced apples to the other side and let them cook on medium-high heat for another 3 or 5 minutes. Remove from heat. The key is to brown them or even get a slightly “burned” effect. But don’t overdo it, once the apples have this “roasted” appearance.
- Right after you remove the pan with roasted sliced apples from the heat, immediately add honey – it will make apples sizzle and will caramelize them beautifully, off the heat.
Cook’s Note: You don’t have to use 2 red and 2 green apples, although that does make for a pretty topping. You can use any color or variety of apples you like. Talk to the apple vendor to find out what they recommend for cooking and caramelizing. You’ll probably want a firm flesh with a sweet flavor profile. But you may prefer tart to contrast with the sugar and honey.
Once you’ve mastered the art of caramelizing apples, check out these recipes – one with meat and one not – also from Julia’s Album.
