Cider and Calvados
You all will know by now that Bordeaux wine rules my heart but I am also partialed to a glass of cider. Well, why not? I live in cider making country. The fields around me are bristling with a bumper crop of apples, so much so that some of the branches are falling off the more derelict varieties under the immense weight of the fruit. There are Cider Barons here who have been making Scrumpy for centuries and generations of locals have discovered its more lethal qualities when their legs fail underneath them.
It seems that all things alcoholic are booming in Britain with Bordeaux wine reaching record levels in its 2005 vintage. The Independent (www.independent.co.uk) reported on 02.09.06 that Cider makers could not keep up with the demand and that Magners (A British brand of Cider) had quadrupled its sales over the summer. This Cider revival has prompted the National Farmers Union to declare that apple growing was one of the few fields of British agriculture with a “stable and exciting future”. Right – that’s it! I am going to plant an orchard!
The only problem with Scrumpy is that it’s flat, cloudy and looks like someone has urinated in the bottle. French Cider makers, however, make a more wine-like style of cider. Their Ciders are often lower in alcohol and less sweet than their British counterparts, with fruitier flavours, a lighter texture, and higher acidity. Texturally they often resemble Champagne, and in fact they bottle their Ciders in Champagne bottles, with cages and corks. Rather up market don’t you think? We normally get our Cider delivered in an old pop bottle and with a wink.
Cider’s French home is Normandy, where it has been made since the Middle Ages. Norman cider remains a hand-crafted product; larger industrial companies have never gotten as involved in Cider making there as they have in England. Cider apples are quite deceptive. They cluster on the tree in an inviting manner but try tasting one! They are mouth blisteringly bitter and have the cheek puckering effect of making your eye balls want to jump out. It is only when they’ve been pressed and fermented that they show their true virtue.
I know us Brits can make Ciders better than Scrumpy but we don’t make Apple Brandy. Have you ever tried Calvados? This is Apple Brandy French style and it is delicious. The name comes from a group of rocks on which a ship sailing with the Armada, the El Salvador, was wrecked just off the French coast. The name became corrupted through time to "le Calvados". Calvados has been undergoing something of a renaissance recently, as cocktail barmen across London have rediscovered this underrated spirit. This fancy little snifter is distilled from Cider. The Cider is produced as normal and is then distilled in double distillation. The second distillation produces the final product of Calvados which comes in at around 40% - 50% alcohol. The Calvados is then transferred to oak barrels for ageing, where the aromatic and spicy flavours develop. This is a cocktail recipe that will make mere mortals smile, let alone the Royals!
Royal Smile
2 parts Calvados
1 part Dry Gin
1 part Grenadine
Juice of 1/4 Lemon
Shake well and strain into a cocktail glass with an apple slice to garnish.
Apple-Flamed Prawns - "Gambas au feu de pommes"
(from Sue)
As Nick says, we live in Cider country and I am currently inundated with apples. The typical recipes for using apples in cooking usually combine them with pork but I am always looking to find new and different dishes to help use up our gluts come harvest time. This one was lovely....
12 to 16 prawns, depending on their size
130 g salted butter
1 tbsp. olive oil
8 sprigs of fresh thyme
Salt and freshly-ground pepper
1 bunch regular parsley
100 ml (6 tbsp.) Calvados
Preparation:
Season the prawns with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, melt half the butter in the olive oil; heat; add the prawns and cook for 6-8 minutes. Pour in the Calvados; add the thyme and flambé. Add the remaining butter and continue to cook for 3-4 minutes. Garnish with parsley and serve immediately.
It seems that all things alcoholic are booming in Britain with Bordeaux wine reaching record levels in its 2005 vintage. The Independent (www.independent.co.uk) reported on 02.09.06 that Cider makers could not keep up with the demand and that Magners (A British brand of Cider) had quadrupled its sales over the summer. This Cider revival has prompted the National Farmers Union to declare that apple growing was one of the few fields of British agriculture with a “stable and exciting future”. Right – that’s it! I am going to plant an orchard!
The only problem with Scrumpy is that it’s flat, cloudy and looks like someone has urinated in the bottle. French Cider makers, however, make a more wine-like style of cider. Their Ciders are often lower in alcohol and less sweet than their British counterparts, with fruitier flavours, a lighter texture, and higher acidity. Texturally they often resemble Champagne, and in fact they bottle their Ciders in Champagne bottles, with cages and corks. Rather up market don’t you think? We normally get our Cider delivered in an old pop bottle and with a wink.
Cider’s French home is Normandy, where it has been made since the Middle Ages. Norman cider remains a hand-crafted product; larger industrial companies have never gotten as involved in Cider making there as they have in England. Cider apples are quite deceptive. They cluster on the tree in an inviting manner but try tasting one! They are mouth blisteringly bitter and have the cheek puckering effect of making your eye balls want to jump out. It is only when they’ve been pressed and fermented that they show their true virtue.
I know us Brits can make Ciders better than Scrumpy but we don’t make Apple Brandy. Have you ever tried Calvados? This is Apple Brandy French style and it is delicious. The name comes from a group of rocks on which a ship sailing with the Armada, the El Salvador, was wrecked just off the French coast. The name became corrupted through time to "le Calvados". Calvados has been undergoing something of a renaissance recently, as cocktail barmen across London have rediscovered this underrated spirit. This fancy little snifter is distilled from Cider. The Cider is produced as normal and is then distilled in double distillation. The second distillation produces the final product of Calvados which comes in at around 40% - 50% alcohol. The Calvados is then transferred to oak barrels for ageing, where the aromatic and spicy flavours develop. This is a cocktail recipe that will make mere mortals smile, let alone the Royals!
Royal Smile
2 parts Calvados
1 part Dry Gin
1 part Grenadine
Juice of 1/4 Lemon
Shake well and strain into a cocktail glass with an apple slice to garnish.
Apple-Flamed Prawns - "Gambas au feu de pommes"
(from Sue)
As Nick says, we live in Cider country and I am currently inundated with apples. The typical recipes for using apples in cooking usually combine them with pork but I am always looking to find new and different dishes to help use up our gluts come harvest time. This one was lovely....
12 to 16 prawns, depending on their size
130 g salted butter
1 tbsp. olive oil
8 sprigs of fresh thyme
Salt and freshly-ground pepper
1 bunch regular parsley
100 ml (6 tbsp.) Calvados
Preparation:
Season the prawns with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, melt half the butter in the olive oil; heat; add the prawns and cook for 6-8 minutes. Pour in the Calvados; add the thyme and flambé. Add the remaining butter and continue to cook for 3-4 minutes. Garnish with parsley and serve immediately.
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