Cracking open a bottle of cool Bulmers red apple cider, you’d be hard pressed to imagine there’s any better way to enjoy this iconic beverage than by drinking it with friends; using it as an ingredient in your next culinary creation is certainly not the first thing that would spring to mind. So while we may infuse our coq au vin with a dash of wine, or even throw a hearty amount of sherry into the trifle, cider will most likely be a drink that will stay out of the cooking pot and in a glass with ice.
Or will it?
Listed below are three outstanding recipe ideas for cider that can lift any menu to new heights and provide an outstanding addition to your culinary repertoire, from starter to dessert!
Starter: Black pudding and apple brochettes in a cider sauce
For this recipe you will need: one large dessert apple, peeled and quartered and cut into thick slices. 300 ml of Bulmers cider, 325 g of black pudding cut into thick slices, 25 g of butter, olive oil, black pepper.
Making this delicious starter is simplicity itself. Ensure your apple and black pudding slices are roughly the same size and shape and then add the cider to a saucepan. Slowly bring it to the boil before adding the apple and allow the mixture to simmer for four to five minutes. Remove the apple from the pan and take the mixture from the heat.
In a frying pan, add a little oil and butter and allow to melt before adding the black pudding. Fry gently for a couple of minutes before adding the apple. Fry both for approximately three to five minutes, turning occasionally. At the end of cooking, season both with a sprinkle of black pepper.
Thread the apple and black pudding alternately onto a skewer or cocktail stick and keep warm. Drizzle the cider liquor over the skewers and serve immediately.
Main course: Cider-braised duck with onions and cranberries
For this recipe you will need: four large duck breast fillets, chopped thyme, olive oil, 25 g of butter, One large onion, 1 tbsp of plain flour, 450 ml of Bulmers cider, 200 g of fresh cranberries, 180 ml of chicken stock.
After a tangy starter, this main course is a more delicate flavour and goes very well with broccoli and a Rosti or jacket potato. To begin with, gently slice the duck and rub the thyme into the flesh, adding a little salt and pepper while rubbing. Add the olive oil to the frying pan and cook the breasts skin down, allow them time to brown. Once browned, remove from the heat and set to one side.
After wiping the pan with kitchen paper, return to the heat and melt the butter, add the onions and stir fry. Sprinkle the flour over the onions and continue to stir fry for another two minutes. Then, gradually add the cider while stirring constantly, and bring the mixture slowly to the boil.
Once boiling, add the fresh cranberries and chicken stock and stir well. Then add the part-cooked duck breasts into the mixture and allow to simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring regularly. Serve the duck with the sauce on a warm plate.
Dessert: Red apple cider sorbet
For this recipe you will need: 300 ml water, 350 g of sugar, juice of an orange, 30 ml brandy, 300 ml of Bulmers red apple cider, 270 ml double cream.
The perfect dessert to your cider-based menu is this red apple cider sorbet.
To make, take the water and sugar and dissolve the sugar in the water over a gentle heat. Bring to the boil and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
Add the juice, brandy and cider to the cooled syrup and mix very well. Pour into a freezer tray. Place the mixture into the freezer until it has almost solidified.
Whip the cream until it is stiff and then add the almost-frozen syrup into the mixture. Beat the two mixtures together well and stir. Add the resultant mixture to serving bowls and return to the freezer and freeze thoroughly before serving.
The perfect, tangy end to a delightful, cider-based meal.