Accoutremonts!

When I put together a cheeseboard I like to include accompaniments that are thoughtful, interesting and, of course, homemade. These items range from jams, cooked fruits, candied items, brittles and beyond. The scope is as big as the culinary mind can fathom. So as promised, here are the recipes I talked about last time in A Well Curated Cheeseboard.

Vanilla-Bourbon Apple Butter

This spin on apple butter goes so well with aged-gouda or a sharp cheedar. The warmth from the bourbon and vanilla really rounds out the cooked apple sweetness and adds so much more-ish complexity. Add it with a savory cheese and you’ll have found heaven.

Ingredients:
6 pounds Apples, Peeled, Cored, And Quartered

4 cups Sugar

1 teaspoon Ground Cloves

2 teaspoons Ground Cinnamon

1 cup Bourbon Of Your Choice

1 vanilla bean.

Directions:

Prepare a large skillet, that will hold all of the apples along with three cups of water. Add the three cups of water. Heat water until boiling. Then, lower heat enough that the boil is maintained but it’s not an agressive boil. Soften apples, occasionally rotating them so they all achieve a nice soft texture, but not mushy. This will take about 30 minutes.

Next add apples, a few at a time, to a food processor and puree until all a uniform texture and size. But make sure they do not liquify. Get rid of any remaining water from the saucepan/skillet before returning apple puree to the pan.

When puree is complete, add back to your large skillet/saucepan and cover with 4 cups of sugar, cloves, cinnamon and 1 cup of bourbon. Bring this to a nice simmer and stir frequently, ensuring none of the puree burns to the bottom.

Cranberry-Habanero Chutney

Cranberries aren’t just for thanksgiving anymore. They are a delicious way to incorporate enticing bitter flavor to food and really go well in this chutney with the smoky, fresh chili flavor of the habaneros. Note, when cooking cranberries whole – once the berries pop, avoid keeping them on the heat for much longer, as they will begin to develop a pronounced bitterness.

Ingredients: 

2 pounds fresh cranberries

4 navel oranges; peeled with piths removed and juiced.

2 habeneros, finely minced

2 tablespoons red wine winegar

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup light brown sugar

1/4 cup minced fresh ginger

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions:

In a large saucepan, combine the cranberries with 1/2 cup of reserved orange juice from the bowl and bring to a simmer over moderate heat. Cover and cook over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until the cranberries have popped, about 10 minutes. Add the vinegar, both sugars, the ginger, habanero and orange pieces and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until thick, about 5 minutes. Let cool slightly, then season with salt and pepper. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Candied Bacon

Uhm- bacon glazed with real maple, brown sugar and Dijon? ‘nough said. Make this, because if your friends find out that you read this post and you didn't, there will be trouble.

Ingredients:

1 lb. good quality bacon, sliced

2 tbsp. pure maple syrup

¼ c. brown sugar

2 tsp. Dijon mustard

½ tsp. Kosher salt

¼ tsp cayenne pepper

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 F.

Wrap a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and top with a wire rack.

In a large bowl, add the maple syrup, brown sugar, Dijon mustard, Kosher salt, and cayenne pepper. Mix well.

Place the bacon in a single layer onto the wire rack. Baste bacon with the glaze on both sides, making sure that all of the slices are evenly coated.

Bake in the center of the oven for about 20 minutes. The bacon will be a bit brown, but will most likely need to bake for another 10-15 minutes. It should look slightly dark (not burnt) and crispy. If you take it out too soon, the texture will be chewy, so be patient.

Remove from the oven and cool for 5 minutes on the rack. Don't let them sit too long or else they will stick.

Serve at room temperature.

Chipotle Pepita Bark

You can swap out the pepita seeds for any nut in this this recipe, and feel free to swap out the chipotle if a spicy kick isn't your thing.

Ingredients:

Vegetable-oil spray or 1 teaspoon butter, for lining the tray

2 cups sugar

4 ounces (1 stick) salted or unsalted butter

1/3 cup light corn syrup

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons to 1 1/2 tablespoons coarse or flaky sea salt (use less if you’re using salted butter)

1 1/2 cups of raw, unroasted pepitas (they toast in the syrup) or 12 ounces (3/4 pound) roasted, salted nuts, not chopped

Directions:

Line a 12x16x1/2-inch sheet baking pan with a silpat (or parchment paper lightly coat it with vegetable spray or butter).

Put the sugar, butter, corn syrup, and 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons water to a large saucepan, and stir together until all the sugar is wet. Cook over high medium-high, but watch it carefully as it will foam up quite a bit and you might need to dial back the heat to medium until it begins to thicken.

Once the mixture turns a medium golden (takes at least 10 minutes) immediately remove from the heat, and carefully whisk in the baking soda followed by the salt (taking care, as the caramel will rise in the pan and bubble some more). Switch to a wooden or metal spoon, and fold in the pepitas or nuts.

Quickly pour the mixture onto the sheet pan, and spread it out over the pan using the back of the spoon before it starts to harden. Alternately, you can slide the parchment paper out of the baking pan and onto a counter, cover it with another sheet, and use a rolling pin, pressing down hard, to roll it out as flat and thin as you would like.

At this point you can either let it cool completely (pulling off the top sheet of parchment, if you use the rolling pin technique) and break it into bite-size pieces with the back of a knife or other blunt object or, while it is still fairly hot and pliable, cut it into a shape of your choice (I went for long, thinnish strips) and let the pieces cool, separated on parchment paper.

The brittle can be stored at room temperature, in an airtight container, for up to two weeks. I like to separate the pieces between layers of parchment or waxed paper, as a little humidity can cause them to stick together.