Persian baked apples recipe

0:20 Prep 1:40 Cook 4 Servings Capable cooks

Taste Magazine

This spiced savoury bake of apples and beef mince is a Persian dinner treat any night of the week.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
15g butter
1 brown onion, finely chopped
200g beef mince
60g (1/4 cup) yellow split peas
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
Pinch chilli powder
625ml (2 1/2 cups) Massel chicken style liquid stock
Pinch saffron threads
125ml (1/2 cup) warm water
6 Pink Lady apples
1 cinnamon stick
1 tbs brown sugar
130g (1/2 cup) Tamar Valley Greek Style Yoghurt
Fresh mint leaves, to serve

Method

Heat oil and butter in a frying pan over medium-low heat. Cook onion, stirring, for 5 minutes or until soft. Increase heat to high. Cook the beef, stirring to break up lumps, for 3 minutes or until browned. Add the split peas, turmeric, ground cinnamon, cloves and chilli. Stir to coat. Add 500ml (2 cups) of the stock. Season. Reduce heat to low. Simmer for 25-30 minutes or until liquid has reduced and peas are tender. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 190C/170C fan forced. Combine saffron and water. Set aside for 10 minutes. Cut tops from apples and reserve. Core apples, leaving bases intact, then enlarge cavity with a small knife.

Transfer apples to a roasting pan. Pour saffron mixture and remaining stock into base of pan. Add cinnamon stick. Spoon stuffing into apples. Sprinkle with brown sugar. Top with apple tops. Cover with a piece of nonstick baking paper, then aluminium foil. Roast for 50 minutes. Remove foil. Roast for a further 10 minutes or until apples are soft. Serve with yoghurt and mint leaves.