The Stewpot Recipe Gallery

Emplumeus de Pomes.

(Chiquart - Du Fait de Cuisine  1420)

To explain it to whoever will make it, he should take good barberine apples depending on the quantity to be prepared. Then he should peel them carefully and cut them into pieces into fine gold or silver platters.  He should take a good earthenware pot, very clean, and boil some pure water over good bright coals, then add the apples.  He must also have good, sweet almonds, in large quantity depending on the quantity of apples being cooked; he should skin them and wash them well, then crush them in a mortar that has no garlic odor; when they are well crushed, he should moisten them with the liquid in which the apples are cooking, and when the apples are sufficiently cooked he should remove them to a nice clean surface, and strain the almonds with this water, making a good thick milk, and return it to the boil over bright clean smoke-free coals, with a tiny bit of salt.  And while it is boiling, he should chop the apples finely with a small, clean knife; when they are chopped, he should add them to the milk, and add a great deal of sugar, as required for this applesauce; then, when the physician calls for it, he should serve it in fine bowls or dishes made of gold or silver.

Ingredients:

2 lbs. cooking apples, such as granny smith, or macintosh, or a blend
3 1/2 cups water
1 1/3 cups almonds
pinch salt
1/4 - 1/3 cup sugar, to taste

Preparation Steps

 Blanch the almonds by dipping them in some boiling water for 1 to 2 minutes, then chilling them in cool water.  Remove the skins by squeezing one end of the almond with your fingers until the almond pops out of its skin.  Peel and slice the apples, and cook them in water until tender, but not falling apart.  Grind the almonds in a food processor, gradually adding the apple cooking water to yield a thick milk.  Strain the almond milk through cheesecloth, wringing out the cloth to get as much liquid as possible.  Bring the almond milk to a boil.  Add the apples to the almond milk, along with the salt and sugar.  Cook until the apples are mostly broken apart, and the applesauce is thick enough.  Add additional sugar if desired.