Gordon's crumble mix.

 Gordon Ramsay really is a genius with spices, and that is why I love this recipie so much.  It is the combination of sugar, cinnamon,nutmeg and orange that make it wonderful.  I first saw this recipie on his cooking course TV show.  It really does taste different from the usual apple crumble, and may seem difficult at first as it has several steps.  Just take your time, it will be worth it.

For the fruit, choose your favourite fruit and use this recipie.  Again, it is the vanilla, star anice and the caramel that makes it wonderful.

APPLE CRUMBLE

Rating: Moderate

Ingredients:

For the apple filling
75g caster sugar
1kg Braeburn apples, peeled, cored and cut into chunks (2cm size)
2 vanilla pods, seeds scrapped out
30g crystallized ginger, finely chopped
1 orange, zest
100g sultanas
100g dried cranberries
4 star anise
A few tbsp of water to loosen
 For the crumble
100g plain flour
Pinch of salt
50g butter, chilled and cut into small cubes
50g blanched hazelnuts, toasted and crushed
40g porridge oats
70g light muscovado sugar
Pinch of ground cinnamon
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
1 orange, zested

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

Heat a sauté pan until hot. Add the caster sugar and melt to form a light caramel. Add the chopped apples and vanilla seeds, and heat for 2-3 minutes tossing frequently. Stir in the crystallized ginger, orange zest and continue to cook for a further 4-5 minutes to soften, adding a few tablespoons of water if the mixture becomes dry.

Stir in the sultanas, dried cranberries and star anise to the apple mixture and continue to cook for a further 5-6 minutes, tossing frequently until the pieces feel just tender when pierced with the tip of a knife. It may be necessary to add a splash of water to loosen throughout cooking. Remove from the heat and cool slightly while you make the topping. Remove the star anise and discard.

Place the flour, salt and butter in a bowl and using your fingertips work together until a breadcrumb texture has been achieved. Lightly crush the hazelnuts in a large bowl using the end of a rolling pin. Add the porridge oats, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, orange zest and crushed hazelnuts and mix until fully incorporated.

Layer the fruit into the bottom of your baking dish, scatter the crumble topping over the fruit. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the topping is nicely browned. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream.