I will continue with the autumnal theme. I just love cooking in this time of year. Amongst many great ingredients that are now in season are cooking apples. Particularly often overlooked Bramleys. Whilst you would never pick this apple variety for eating raw it makes a perfect ingredient for cooking. Natural tartness of this apple works great in the apple sauce served with fattier pork dishes. Home made fresh apple sauce is way nicer than the commercially mass produced sauces. What’s even better is that you can adjust how sweet or sour you want the sauce to match your personal preference and the dish it will be served with. This sauce works great with fattier pork dishes such as slow roasted pork belly or even sausage rolls. Also it will not be out of place served with roasted chicken or chicken legs cooked in cider.

Serves 4.

Ingredients:

• 1 large Bramley apple (about 250g cored and peeled weight)
• 1 tblsp caster sugar
• 75g apple cider
• 20g salted butter
• Pinch of cinnamon

Method:

1. Peel, core and finely dice the apple.
2. Place the diced apple in a heavy-based saucepan with the cider. Add sugar and cinnamon.
3. Bring to simmer over a medium heat. Cover and cook for about 10 – 15 minutes until the apple is very tender but not dried out.
4. Take if off the heat. Incorporate the butter using a small whisk to make a smooth compote. The consistency will vary depending on how ripe the apple was.
5. Taste and add 1-2 tsp sugar if the sauce is too tart. If the sauce seems too thick, add 1-2 tblsp water. Serve warm.

Transfer any unused amount into an airtight container. It will stay fresh for couple of days if refrigerated.