Apple Slices and Pan Sauce

(Apologies for the blah photo, I only had my cell phone camera at the time.  I'll post a better photo next time I make this!)

When my wisdom teeth made chewing difficult, I got into the habit of cooking my fruit in this manner.  And even though my jaw's back to normal, the habit of cooking fruit stayed.

I like this cooking method for apples and pears.  I imagine it might also work for hard nectarines or peaches. It feels a bit strange to "sear" the fruit and make a sort of pan sauce by deglazing with white wine.  I sometimes wonder if some properly-schooled chef will appear behind me and smack me upside the head for this disgrace.  Or something.  ...  Anyway.


First I melt some butter and add just a bit of oil to raise the average smoke point.

On high heat, I "sear" the fruit slices, adding a big pinch of salt and whole spices (eg: star anise, cinnamon stick) to the pan, if I remember them.  For this batch I used three apples, which fit very nicely in the 11" pan.

After I've gotten a nice colour on the fruit, I deglaze with white wine, about 3oz, and kill the heat.  I taste and add any sugar if necessary, and any ground spices (eg: ground cinnamon, cloves, ginger).  This pan keeps heat for a long time, so the wine keeps a hard simmer awhile.  If I want, I add a pat of butter or maple syrup if I'm in the mood.  I let the fruit and sauce cook to whatever consistency I want that day.

For everyday eating, like the fruit soft with just a bit of resistance in the very centre; and the sauce to be moderately thin, maybe the consistency of half-and-half, and not too rich-tasting.  I typically just eat this with a spoon; but it's also good on top of oatmeal, and I imagine it'd be great on top of ice-cream, baked goods, or beside pork or chicken.


Good combinations I've tried so far:

• Pear with maple syrup and extra butter; thick sauce.  This is heavenly on top of oatmeal, the sauce is almost too rich to eat alone! 
• Pear with white wine, cinnamon stick and star anise; thin sauce.  
• Apple with white wine and butter; medium-thick sauce.  
• Apple with white wine, cinnamon, star anise, cloves and black pepper; medium-thick sauce.  

Combinations I think would be good but haven't yet tried:

• Pear or apple with white wine and ginger; thin sauce.  
• Nectarines with rum, cloves, nutmeg; medium sauce.  
• ...

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