Wynn MedingerThis recipe was originally published August 2017, and remains a favorite with both EQLiving editors and readers.
The New York Times said, Almond’s Jason Weiner offers “honest, unpretentious French bistro fare at its best.” Weiner began his culinary career in Manhattan at two noted restaurants—Regine and China Grill.
After working in these two hot spots, he headed to the West Coast and joined some of America’s top chefs in various restaurants. In 2001, Weiner headed back east to fulfill his dream and opened Almond, a French bistro in Bridgehampton, N.Y., with partner Eric Lemonides. Almond has a working relationship with a local Bridgehampton school sourcing produce from their organic student-run greenhouse. In fact, 90 percent of the restaurant’s produce from June through October comes from within a seven-mile radius of the restaurant. Celebrity diners have included Bill Clinton, Kelsey Grammer, Nathan Lane, New York Mets player Keith Hernandez, and Rihanna. In 2008, the team added Almond NYC in Manhattan’s Flat Iron district.
APPLE CRISP
Ingredients (Serves 6)
8 semi-sweet large crisp apples such as Ginger Gold or Gala
(peeled, cored, and quartered)
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
¼ pound butter
1 cup sugar
1 scraped vanilla bean (hull reserved)
Struesel topping
¾ cup brown sugar
¾ cup whole-wheat flour (we prefer Amber Waves Farm)
1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
¼ cup butter softened
PREPARATION
- Preheat oven to 435 degrees.
- Toss the apples with the juice, zest, vanilla bean, and vanilla hull and let stand for 20 minutes.
- Add the sugar and butter to a large heavy-bottom saute pan.
- Whisking constantly, cook the sugar and butter on medium heat until they are a deep amber color.
- Turn the heat all the way up and add your apples.
- Toss the apples and cook until they have also taken on that amber color.
- Add the apples to a preheated medium-sized casserole.
- Give the crisps a nice liberal dusting of the struesel topping.
- Cook for 15 minutes or until your crisp is bubbly and the streusel topping is—you guessed it—a deep amber color.
- Mix until crumbly.
SERVING SUGGESTION
Serve with any or all of the following: honey, maple syrup, crème fraîche, whipped ricotta, vanilla ice cream, ginger sorbet.