Serves 6
This old time recipe was a standard at harvest time on New England farms. Autumn brought the annual harvest of apples and the butchering of pigs. The two combined to make this tasty and satisfying treat. It deserves to be brought into the modern kitchen.
- About 1 pound of bulk sausage meat
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 stalk of celery, diced small
- 1/2 cup dried currants
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- A few grindings of nutmeg
- 2 or 3 tablespoons of brown sugar
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
- Salt and fresh, coarse ground black pepper to taste
- 6 large baking apples – (Granny Smith, Jonathan, golden Delicious, Fujie, Gala and Newton Pippins are good choices)
- Apple juice
- Thick cream
Preheat the oven to 350°. In a heavy skillet, gently sauté the sausage meat, breaking it apart as you work. Do not cook it all the way. It should still be somewhat pink. Remove from the skillet with a slotted spoon and set on paper towels or a piece of brown paper bag to drain. Sauté the onion, garlic and celery over moderate heat until soft and translucent, but not yet beginning to brown. Add a few drops of olive oil if necessary.
Return the sausage to the skillet and add the next five ingredients. Stir gently and continue to cook for a minute or two. Season to taste with salt and pepper and set aside.
Wash the apples but do not peel. Core the apples, removing more of the apple than usual in order to make a cavity large enough to hold the stuffing. Firmly pack the stuffing into the apples and place them in a baking dish. Pour in about a cup of apple juice. Cover with foil and place in the oven. Bake for about forty to forty-five minutes, or until the apples are tender. Remove from the oven and place on a serving dish. De-fat the pan juices and place in a skillet on top of the stove. Add the cream and over high heat, reduce until somewhat thickened. Serve as a sauce to accompany the apples.