From breakfast pancakes to dinner sides and pudding: Alissa Timoshkina’s apple recipes

. UK edition

Three apple pancakes on a plate with yoghurt and honey, beside coffee and sliced apples

Fried in pancakes, braised with duck, pickled with a roast chicken or baked for pudding, apples are one of autumn’s star ingredients

Few ingredients are as familiar as apples, yet few carry such symbolic weight. Peaking just as the season’s begin to turn, they are the ultimate symbol of nature’s abundance, imbued with a sense of nostalgia for the retreating sunlight. The symbolism became unexpectedly tangible to me during a recent autumn apple-picking trip with my family: surrounded by branches heavy with fruit, I found myself seeing the humble apple with fresh awe. It looked nothing short of nature’s miracle. Native to the mountains of central Asia, near the modern Kazakhstan-China border, it has travelled further than perhaps any other fruit, becoming at home in cuisines from Normandy to New York, Caucasus to Kashmir. Sweet or savoury, everyday or celebratory, the apple is truly universal. Its versatility always reminds me of the simple joy of cooking with the seasons.

Breakfast apple oladky (pictured top)

Prep 10 min
Cook 25 min
Makes 24, to serve 6

200g plain flour, sifted
1 shy tsp baking powder
¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda
A pinch of cinnamon
A pinch of fine sea salt
1 medium egg (50g)
200ml whole milk
50g unsalted butter, melted, plus extra for frying
3 sweet apples, cored, then 1 grated and 2 thinly sliced on a mandoline
2 tbsp runny honey, plus extra for serving
Neutral oil, for frying
Greek yoghurt, for serving

In a bowl, mix all the dry ingredients together, then in a separate bowl whisk the wet ones, including the grated apple.

Gently fold the wet and dry ingredients together with a silicone spatula – make sure you don’t over mix it. Leave to rest at room temperature for five minutes, or until you see bubbles appear.

Heat a frying pan on a low-medium heat, and add enough oil to coat it evenly. Scoop up the batter (about 15-20g per oladky) and drop it into the pan – it should start sizzling straight away. Depending on the size of your pan, you should be able to cook around four oladky at the same time.

Fry them on one side for 40 seconds, adding a few slices of apple on top halfway through cooking.

Flip them over, adding a teaspoon of butter to help the apples soften and caramelise, and continue cooking undisturbed for 90 seconds to two minutes, until the pancakes have puffed up and the apples are caramelised.

Repeat with the remaining batter and apple slices. Serve with Greek yoghurt and a drizzle of honey.

Roast chicken salad with kale, fennel, pickled apples and tahini ‘mayo’

Prep 20 min
Rest 30 min
Cook 15 min
Serves 4

For the salad
150-200g kale, washed and stalks removed
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Flaky sea salt and black pepper
Juice of ¼ lemon
1 granny smith apple, thinly sliced on a mandolin
2 celery sticks, sliced diagonally into long wedges
1 small fennel bulb, trimmed and thinly sliced on a mandoline
25g flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked, plus extra to garnish
1 roast chicken breast (about 200g), or equivalent chicken meat leftover from a roast, shredded
2 tbsp toasted sunflower seeds, to garnish

For the pickle
4 tbsp apple cider vinegar
Juice of ½ lemon
1 tbsp runny honey
A pinch of flaky sea salt
1 granny smith, finely diced

For the tahini mayo
150ml tahini
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Juice of ½ lemon
1 tbsp runny honey
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
Flaky sea salt, to taste
Pickle brine (see above)
1 ice cube, or 2 tsp of ice-cold water

Start by making the pickle. In a medium jar, mix two tablespoons of cold water, the vinegar, lemon juice, honey and salt. Add the diced apple and shake well to combine. Leave to rest in the fridge for about 30 minutes.

Next, prep the kale. Massage the kale with the olive oil, salt and lemon juice in a large bowl until wilted. Set aside.

To make the tahini mayo, add the first six ingredients into a mixing bowl, finishing with all the apple pickle brine. Start mixing slowly with a fork; if the paste gets too thick or splits, add an ice cube or ice-cold water and continue stirring gently, until you reach a silky consistency (you will!).

Back to the salad. To the bowl with the kale, add the fresh and pickled apples, celery, fennel, parsley and chicken. Add a third of the tahini dressing and give everything a gentle toss.

Transfer the salad to a large bowl or sharing platter, drizzle over the tahini sauce in wriggly lines, then scatter over the sunflower seeds and extra torn parsley leaves. Finish with an extra sprinkle of sea salt and a generous crack of black pepper. You will have some tahini dressing left over; serve this in the jar alongside.

Duck legs with braised sauerkraut, apples and cranberries

Prep 10 min
Cook 2 hr
Serves 4

1-2 tbsp duck fat
4 duck legs, at room temperature
Sea salt and black pepper
2 red onions, peeled and thinly sliced
1 tsp caraway seeds
1 tsp dried thyme
200ml red wine
½ small red cabbage, shredded
650g jar sauerkraut with brine
3 red apples, sliced into chunky wedges (about 6-8 each)
1 orange, zest and juice
2 tbsp dried cranberries
1 tsp sugar
4 bay leaves
400ml stock (vegetable or chicken)

Melt a tablespoon of the duck fat in a heavy-based casserole. Pat the duck legs dry and salt on both sides, then place them in the casserole skin side down and sear on a medium-high heat for 10 minutes, to achieve a seductive crispy skin. Transfer the legs to a plate and set aside while you get on with the rest.

Depending on how fatty the duck legs are, add another tablespoon of duck fat to the casserole. Lower the heat to medium, and fry the onion with a pinch of salt, the caraway and thyme for eight to 10 minutes.

Deglaze the pan by adding the wine and scraping off any delicious bits of fat and onion that might be stuck to the pan. Cook with the lid off for a minute. Next, add the remaining ingredients, stir well to combine and bring to a gentle simmer.

Heat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6. Put the duck legs on top of the cabbage, skin side up, cover with a lid, and put in the oven for 90 minutes, or until tender.

The dish goes down a treat as is (with a glass of red wine, of course), or add some creamy mash or roast potatoes for an extra comforting autumnal meal.

Fermented apple salsa

This is a very versatile ferment: add it to salads or egg mayo (instead of capers), use it to top avocado or layer into a cheese toastie filling.

Prep 15 min
Cook 15 min
Ferment 3 days+
Makes 1 x 1.5L jar

For the apple salsa
3 large granny smith apples, cored and diced
2 spring onions, trimmed, white and green parts finely sliced
100g white grapes, quartered
2 celery sticks, diced
1 jalapeño, seeds and pith removed, flesh finely diced
10g fresh dill, stems and fronds finely chopped
1 tsp fennel seeds

For the brine
7g fine, non-iodized sea salt (roughly 1½ level tsp)
350ml filtered water

Sterilise a 1.5L jar by running it through the dishwasher, then let it cool down before handling. Mix all the apple salsa ingredients in a bowl to make sure everything is well distributed. Make the brine by dissolving the salt in the water.

Pack the jar tightly with the apple mix, and top with the brine, leaving about two fingers’ worth of space at the top (for the weight). Put a fermentation weight on top, close the lid and place in a small bowl to catch any leakages. Leave at room temperature and out of direct sunlight for three to six days, depending on how warm the room is.

The salsa is ready when the brine becomes effervescent and the apples acquire a pleasant, piquant, sour quality. At this point, remove the weight, and transfer to the fridge. The salsa will keep in the fridge for up to three months.

Ukrainian baked rice pudding with apples, cinnamon and raisins

Prep 5 min
Cook 1 hr
Serves 4

200g long-grain rice
750ml whole milk
A pinch of salt
50g unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing and dotting
2 medium apples (gala, cox’s, braeburn, for example), cored and diced
50g raisins
Zest of 1 medium orange
1 tsp ground cinnamon, plus extra for dusting
2 large eggs
50g caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Rinse the rice under cold water until the water runs clear. Then, in a saucepan, combine the rice with the milk and salt, and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 18–20 minutes, until the rice is soft and creamy and most of the milk has been absorbed. It might feel like a lot of milk at first, but it will work.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a frying pan and saute the diced apples with the raisins, orange zest and cinnamon for five to seven minutes, until slightly softened. In a large bowl, beat the eggs with the sugar and vanilla extract.

When the rice is cooked, let it cool slightly before stirring it into the egg mixture, followed by the sauteed apples, raisins and orange zest, until well combined.

Heat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/400F/gas 6 and grease a 20cm × 30cm ovenproof dish with butter. Pour the rice mixture into the dish, smoothing the top and dotting with small pieces of butter. Bake for 30–40 minutes, until the top is golden and set. Cool slightly before serving, dusted with extra cinnamon, if desired.