Tom Kitchin recipes: Apple beignets | Apple pie

Apples are such a delightful arrival in autumn. Of course, they are available all year round, but they are generally at their best from September through to November and I’m looking forward to both eating them on their own and cooking with them right through until winter.

I genuinely believe they are one of those great British ingredients that tend to be truly underrated.

Over 7,000 varieties of apple exist and they are one of the most widely cultivated tree fruits. We have many types that grow here in Britain, but it astounds me that generally only around 12 varieties are commonly sold in UK supermarkets, of which some are imported.

We should be celebrating this glorious fruit and eating the varieties that can be found locally in all their colourful beauty – from red to yellow to green, from eating apples to cooking varieties, which are much more tart in flavour and more acidic but absolutely wonderful in sweet and savoury dishes.

Textures also vary and you will almost always find everyone has their own favourite. Not only are they incredibly versatile, they are also a great source of vitamins A and C, as well as fibre.

Apples create great memories – whether picking, eating or dooking for them as a child at Halloween. When I was a kid, we used to pick apples in autumn and store them through the winter. My apple beignets recipe still reminds me of those days and is one of the recipes my nana used to make with the last of the fruit, as winter came to an end.

Whenever I visit an orchard today, or even see apples in friends’ gardens, I’m taken back to those days and remember how rewarding it was picking the apples from the trees and either getting to eat them fresh and crunchy right there and then, or enjoying one of my favourite autumn puddings – apple pie. Apples you’ve picked yourself certainly make the difference between a good and a great pie. The smell of fresh apples cooking is one that can’t be beaten.

Every autumn, my friend Moira gives me a huge batch to keep me going through the winter. If you have lots of your own apples, you can store them in perforated bags in the fridge, or if you need to keep them for longer you can wrap them in a single layer of newspaper, in a wooden box or in a wicker basket, and keep them in a cool, dark place until you’re ready to enjoy them.

While apples are delicious in desserts, they can be enjoyed just as much in savoury dishes. In autumn, I use a lot of fruit in my cooking, as it’s such a delightful compliment to many game dishes. I like to use thinly sliced apples as they lighten the dish and add a touch of sweetness for extra flavour. In the same way, stewed apples can make the most wonderful sauce, enjoyed with game and also with rich meat like pork.

And, just as I do with all the produce at home and at the restaurant, I make sure I use every part of an apple, from the skin right down to the core and trimmings, which can be used to make sauces; absolutely nothing goes to waste in my kitchen.

Cider is made from the fermented juice of apples, and while it seems the alcoholic drink has fallen back into favour in recent years, it’s also a great cooking ingredient. Cider can vary greatly in its quality so make sure you choose wisely. As a general rule, I would always recommend that if you wouldn't drink it, don't cook with it.

Dry cider tends to work best because all the natural sugar has been fermented out and you are left with an alcoholic, often clear liquid. There are many outstanding local cider producers here in Scotland, like Thistly Cross who brew their cider in the heart of the East Lothian countryside. Cider, like apples, is a good match for meat, especially pork, as well as sweeter dessert dishes.

If you haven’t already done so, I suggest this season is the time to celebrate our local orchards – when they’re at their best. And if you can, I thoroughly recommend starting with the picking and collecting. It will help you create delightful dishes you won’t forget.

Apple Beignets

Serves four

2 Granny Smith apples

500ml vegetable oil (for frying)

30g flour

Vanilla ice-cream

5 egg yolks

130g caster sugar

250ml milk

250ml whipping cream

1 vanilla pod, split lengthwise

Sabayon

3 egg yolks

50g sugar

300ml cider

Beignet batter

8 egg yolks

500ml cider

500g flour

8 egg whites

100g icing sugar

To make the ice-cream

Using a whisk, beat the egg yolks with the sugar in a bowl until pale and slightly thickened. Meanwhile, heat the milk, cream and vanilla to a simmer and set aside.

In a heavy-bottomed pan, warm the beaten eggs and sugar over a very low heat, stirring constantly. Gradually stir in the hot milk mix, then cook over a very low heat, stirring with a wooden spoon until the mixture thickens just enough to coat the back of the spoon. Take off the heat and discard the vanilla pod.

Strain the custard through a sieve into a large bowl and set over a larger bowl of ice water to cool. Pour into an ice-cream machine and churn until just frozen, then place into an airtight plastic container and freeze for at least three hours before serving.

To make the sabayon

Whisk the egg yolks and sugar together in a metal bowl over a pan of simmering water. Whisk until the mixture becomes slightly frothy, then slowly pour in the cider. Keep whisking until the sauce thickens – this will take at least ten minutes.

The sabayon can be served at this stage but if you would like to serve it cool, take the pan off the eat and whisk until it reaches room temperature. Set aside while you prepare the rest of the dish.

To make the beignets

Whisk the yolks with the cider and slowly add the flour until completely mixed. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites to firm peaks and fold into the cider mix.

Peel and core the apples, keeping them whole. Cut each apple into four doughnut-shaped slices, about 0.5cm thick. Pour the vegetable oil into a large pan and heat to 170-180C.

Dust the apple pieces with flour to coat and dip them into the batter. Cook the dipped apple pieces in oil until golden brown on each side. Use a wooden skewer to help with the flipping and removing of the finished beignets.

To serve

Drain the apple beignets on paper towels to remove any excess fat and dust them with icing sugar.

Serve with vanilla ice-cream and a generous spoon of the cider sabayon.

Apple Pie

Serves six

Filling

2 large cooking apples, peeled and cored

100g sugar

2 tbsp flour

1 tsp cinnamon

2 large Granny Smith apples, peeled and cored

Sweet pastry

500g flour

100g icing sugar

350g unsalted butter

1 egg

1 egg, beaten

To prepare the filling

Chop the cooking apples and put them in a pan with the sugar and flour (adding flour helps to retain juices and so stops the crust getting soggy when cooking). Add 75ml of water and cook over a low heat until the apple is soft, then add the cinnamon and mix with a wooden spoon to make a smooth purée. Slice the Granny Smith apples and fold the slices into the purée.

To make the pastry

Sift the flour and sugar together. Pulse them with the butter in a food processor until the mix resembles breadcrumbs. Mix in the egg until the dough clings together, then knead gently. Flatten the dough into a round, and divide into two pieces. Wrap each in clingfilm and chill in the fridge for 15 minutes.

Assembling the pie

Preheat the oven to 230C/gas mark 8 and grease a 23cm pie dish. Roll out one piece of dough into a circle with a diameter about 10cm bigger than your pie dish. Use this to line the pie dish, then spoon in the apple mixture. Roll out the second piece of dough to the same size and lay it carefully over the pie. Tuck the edges of the top crust under the lower crust and press them together. Cut a few vents in the top crust with a sharp paring knife and brush the pastry with the beaten egg.

Place the pie on the lowest rack of the preheated oven and bake for ten minutes. Lower the temperature to 180C/gas mark 4 and bake for another 25-30 minutes.

To serve

Dust with some icing sugar and serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice-cream.