With over 7000 known varieties, nothing makes me happier than apple season. It brings me back to my childhood, lugging a bushel basket and beat up wood ladder around the apple orchards with my Dad. Red and Golden Delicious, Jonah Golds, Braeburns, even the petite Lady Apple would make their way home. Sunday apple pies, my grandfather’s apple stuffing at Thanksgiving, even my grandmother’s get-em-while-they’re-hot cider donuts showcased the harvest. Those first signs of autumn – the crisp air, the falling leaves, that first bite into a Honey Crisp bring it all back. Still, no apple makes me giddy like the Mountain Rose from Oregon. The first round of these delicate beauties made their way to my doorstep two weeks ago.

Having a tinted flesh that varies from faintly rose colored to a shocking hot pink, the Mountain Rose has a tart, crisp flavor with notes of strawberries and cotton candy. Having such beautifully rare natural qualities, I set out to treat the Mountain Rose very differently.

First, there were some flavor combinations to consider. Toast, nuts, tea, strawberry and celery came to mind. I wanted delicate profiles to compliment the apple and not drive away the candy-like aromatics. Chamomile. Almond. Leaves of celery heart. Time to go shopping.

A few weeks prior, I had experimented with creating dairy free milks using our Sonicprep ultrasonic homogenizer. Tests yielded stable, semi-milklike results at normal milk fat ratios. Unimpressive. For the apples, I wanted to infuse them under vacuum with almond oil and chamomile tea. To achieve a satisfactory homogenization, I stuck to the vinaigrette ratio. The chamomile flower steeped for four minutes and was passed and cooled. Three parts tea combined with one part roasted almond oil were homogenized until the two came together completely. The homogenization was then placed in a blender, where .5% Xanthan Gum was sheered in to create a heat stable emulsion.

The apples were then cut in sixths to reveal their hot pink flesh (my favorite part). They were then vacuum sealed with two fluid ounces of the emulsion. They sat under compression for one hour. The apples were then poached for 5 minutes at 82°C (179.6°F). This yielded a just-tender, evenly cooked apple that unloaded with the previously tame sweetness, almond fat and finished with the subtlety of chamomile a few bites in. What wasn’t expected was how much the fatty mouth feel of the emulsion permeated the porous flesh. It brought a level of umami to the apple that was completely surprising.

For a melt in your mouth confit approach, the apples can be cooked for up to thirty minutes. I kept the time down for this batch to preserve the vibrant pink color.

I created an almond soil that started out as blanched, whole almonds. They were toasted in a 210°C (410°F) oven and allowed to cool. The almonds were pulverized with a few quick pulses and scrapes in the food processor, being careful not to take it too far into the butter phase. The chopped almonds were then spread out in the dehydrator, set to 57°C (135°F) for 24 hours. Almonds, at harvest, contain roughly 61% oil and ≤7% water. The dehydrator took care of the water, enough for a few more pulses in the processor. The ground almonds were then toasted further at 175°C (350°F). A few more pulses and we started making progress. The fat content had to be absorbed and that was handled by adding tapioca maltodextrin to the mix. Some fried panko was ground down slightly and folded throughout. The end result was light and fluffy, with a bit of dry crunch. It looked, well, like sand.

The plate was garnished with the almond soil, raw apple, freeze dried strawberry powder, celery heart leaves, “almond milk” and a turbinado reduction.

Article and photos by Joe Strybel

Cooking Time: 45-60 minutes

Ingredients:
Large hen eggs – quantity is variable

Step 1:
Set the rear pump flow switch to fully closed. Set the front flow switch to the minimum flow to ensure the delicate proteins in the whites do not separate from agitation. Set the temperature of the Sous Vide Professional™ to 64°C / 147.2°F.

Step 2:
Once target temperature is reached, gently place eggs in circulating water bath. Use a ladle or slotted spoon to gently lower the eggs so they do not crack.

Step 3:
Cook to desired doneness for 45 minutes. Do not hold at temperature for more than 120 minutes.

Step 4:
If plating immediately, gently crack egg onto a paper towel to capture any excess liquid. Gently, roll the egg off of the towel onto a plate.

If serving at a later point, do not crack. Plunge egg into ice bath. Store up to 48 hours under refrigeration. Reheat egg by placing in 60°C / 140°F circulating bath or placing egg into a pot of simmering water for 60 seconds.

You won’t believe this cranberry sauce. The boozy pop of each berry, the tangy-sweet sauce; we may have just changed Thanksgiving as we know it. Keeping it alcohol-free? Sub in some cranberry juice instead.

Serves: 8

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 20-30 minutes

Ingredients:
12 ounces Fresh Cranberries
1/2 cup Dry Ruby Port (May substitute: cranberry juice)
1/2 cup Orange Juice, Fresh
3/4 cup Sugar
Zest from one Orange, cut into thin matchsticks

Step 1:
Set the Sous Vide Professional™ to 167°F/75°C, with the Rear Flow Adjustment Slide closed and Front Flow Adjustment Slide fully open. (Flow Adjustment Slide available on CHEF Series only.)

Step 2:
Combine fresh cranberries, port wine, orange juice, sugar and zest in a mixing bowl. Stir gently to combine all ingredients.

Step 3:
Roll the vacuum pouch back at the top, turning it out 1-2 inches. This will help prevent possible cross-contamination.

Step 4:
Pour mixed cranberries and sauce into vacuum pouch, vacuum seal.

Step 5:
Place sealed bag in circulating water bath and cook for 20 minutes or until a few, but not all, cranberries have begun to burst.

Step 6:
Remove bag from water bath.

If serving immediately: transfer to serving vessel.

If saving for later: quickly shock in ice water bath until temperature of sauce has reached 40°F/4°C. Cooling must occur in under one hour. Store in refrigerator and reheat to 140°F/60°C before serving.

Meat and potatoes. That’s our kind of meal. The Chevre goat cheese adds a tangy punch and these mashers go well with just about everything.

Serves 3-4

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 90 minutes

Ingredients:
15-20 small potatoes, peeled (if desired) and cut into quarters
2 tablespoons butter
3 Scallions/Green Onions, sliced in 1” pieces.
salt and pepper to taste
6 ounces Chevre Goat Cheese

Step 1:

Set the Sous Vide Professional™ to 180°F / 82°C, with the rear port closed and front port fully open.

Step 2:
Put potatoes, scallions and butter into vacuum bag, taking care to arrange in a single layer. Season with salt and pepper. Vacuum seal.

Step 3:
Place sealed bag in circulating water bath and cook for 90 minutes.

Step 4:
Remove the potatoes from water bath. Open and drain into colander; pour the potatoes into a food processor, add the goat cheese, and puree until smooth. If a food processor is not available, potatoes can be mashed with a fork or masher.

Step 5:
Mashed Potatoes can be cooled, vacuum sealed and kept for up to 4 days, or up to 6 months in the freezer.

A great side dish or a meal in itself. Use this recipe as a jumping off point to many exciting flavors. Dice up some root vegetables, mushrooms or chicken and place them in the bag with the rest of the ingredients. Top with sautéed mushrooms and some grated cheese and you have an easy to reheat (and repeat!) hit that can be made up to 4 days ahead of time.

Makes 2 Cups of Polenta
Serves: 2

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 90-120 minutes

Ingredients:
½ C Polenta, Coarse Ground
1½ C Chicken Stock or Vegetable/Mushroom Stock
1 C Half and Half
2 Tbs Butter
½ C Parmigiano Reggiano, grated
Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper, to taste

For Sautéed Mushrooms:
8 oz Wild Mushrooms, fresh, cleaned
2 Tbs Shallots, minced
2 Garlic Clove, minced
¼ C White Wine
½ C Chicken Stock or Vegetable/Mushroom Stock
2 Tbs Fresh Tarragon, chopped
2 Tbs Olive Oil
Sea Salt

Step 1:

Set the Sous Vide Professional™ to 185°F/85°C, with the Rear Flow Adjustment Slide closed and Front Flow Adjustment Slide fully open. (Flow Adjustment Slide available on CHEF Series only.)

Cover bath to maximize efficiency at this high temperature.

Step 2:
Vacuum seal the polenta, 1½ C of stock (Reserve ½ C for mushrooms in Step 6), half and half, and butter in a large sous vide bag.
Step 3:
Cook polenta 1½ to 2 hours, until liquids have fully absorbed.
Step 4:
In a sauté pan over high heat, caramelize mushrooms. Avoid stirring during the first 30 seconds.
Step 5:
When mushrooms have browned evenly, add shallot and garlic. Sweat, but take care not to brown shallot and garlic.
Step 6:
Deglaze the pan by adding white wine. Reduce by wine by half. Add ½ C stock. Again, reduce by half.
Step 7:
Season mushrooms and add fresh tarragon. Remove from heat.
Step 8:
Remove the bag of polenta from the water bath. Open the bag and pour the polenta into a serving bowl. Gently stir in half of the cheese and reserve the rest for garnish. Season with salt and pepper.
Step 9:
Garnish polenta with sautéed mushrooms and parmesan cheese.