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| Medlars LeeThat'sMe |
L. Mespilus germanica, Fr. néflier, Eng.
medlar, brown fruit, like a small apple, edible only after it begins to decay
as the pulp becomes soft. This fruit originated in Persia and southern Europe.
It is a member of the apple family but appears more like a brown plum. The
Greeks knew them and the Romans took them to all corners of the Roman Empire.
Italians claim they introduced them to England, but the
English say it was the Normans. Perhaps it was forgotten after the Romans left
and the Normans reintroduced them.
The tree produces white flowers that bloom in May and June,
which are followed by the fruit that matures in October and November. Crops
from Villajoyosa (Alicante) are particularly splendid, as they grow best in
temperate humid climates.
Medlars, macerated like pears, make a sweet drink in known
in England and Spain. The pulp of the fruit was once eaten raw like a plum or
an apple but not today as it is better known as a jelly. Medicinally, it is
used as an astringent. [Castro. Alimentación.
1996:304; Cambridge Food. 2000:1219; and Usher. 1974:388
For 4 persons
Ingredients
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| A Perfect Variation of Apple Desserts Photo by: Lord-Williams |
4 big golden apples
1 qt water reserved from boiling
apples
½ c toasted almonds
1 slice of bread
½ sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
Garnish
1 tsp sugar mixed with ½ tsp
cinnamon
1 tbsp toasted almonds
Preparation
Select sweet
apples. Peel, quarter and remove core and pips. Fill a pot with enough water to
cover apples and bring it to a boil. Add apples and cook until soft y not
mushy. Remove from water, let the apples cool and reserve the water.
Blanch, peel
and grind almonds in a mortar or food processor. Blend them with 1 qt of the
water reserved from boiling the apples and one slice of bread soaked in the broth.
Strain this almond milk through a woolen cloth into a pot. Save1 tbsp of the
toasted almonds to garnish the dish prior to presenting it.
Add sugar and
cinnamon to the almond milk. Bring to a boil, remove from heat and let cool a
few minutes before adding apples. so that you can prepare dishes of them; and
when they are done, cast sugar and cinnamon on top.
[1] Medlars can be used although Nola calls for apples.
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