Monday, August 14, 2017

578/1038 - Classic apple pie

It's hard to believe it took 6 years and almost six hundred recipes for me to make a plain old apple pie - except that this apple pie is anything but plain.

It was the lard pastry which kept me from throwing this otherwise simple dessert together. I don't have anything against lard; it's just not something I generally keep in the fridge! I decided to give duck fat a whirl as a stronger tasting substitute and of course had already put the pie together by the time I did some research and discovered that the reason pig fat is the basis for lard is that it is largely tasteless. Unlike duck fat which tastes like, well, duck. Whoops.

Unperturbed, I baked my pie anyway, safe in the knowledge that apples go well with savoury dishes such as pizza and pork.

Persistence paid off! The pie was absolutely beautiful and looked stunning on the plates, filled with layers and layers of thinly sliced apples.

...and there it was! The apple chapter is now done and dusted. Nineteen down, one hundred and six to go. In order to speed this challenge along (because I am fairly sure none of us want to see this drag on for another ten years) I have decided to plan my next couple of recipes as soon as one is posted. All going well, we will see some yabby and tripe gracing the blog very soon.

Wish me luck! x

3 comments:

  1. The apple pie looks fabulous, and thank you for the reminder re different flavoured lards. Though I look forward to your increased frequency of cooking exploits and updates, I am also happy for this challenge to stretch out over the next decade. Who knows, Stephanie may yet publish further editions of the Companion as the years go by!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This comment has been removed by the author.

      Delete
    2. ...and more information on the duck fat - it is a little strong when cold! Definitely better straight out of the oven. I don't think I would use it for a sweet pie in future. Re the challenge - I love that you would stick with me even if this stretched out another decade. Good to know it would not just be me, tumbleweeds and crickets ;) x

      Delete