Apple cider makes a fantastic sauce when reduced to a syrupy, cream-like texture with a snappy apple-lemony flavor. There is really nothing to it; put some cider in a pan and reduce it to a syrup. Then serve this surprising syrup with chicken, pork, potatoes, carrots, onions, cabbage dishes, rice dishes, over cooked apple or pear dishes, with bananas, or on pancakes, French toast, or waffles in place of maple syrup. It also makes a nice alternative as a sauce for ice cream. Or you may use the syrup as a base for a sauce, as we do here.
The cider syrup may be stored in the refrigerator or freezer. The syrup keeps for 2 to 3 weeks in the refrigerator or about 6 months in the freezer.
This recipe uses the cider syrup to make a sauce. We've added ginger and some apple slices and a touch of scallions to give the sauce a savory edge. Serve this sauce over chicken breasts, roast turkey, pork tenderloin or chops, sweet potatoes, carrots, or rice.
For the Cider Syrup
This may easily be doubled if you would like to freeze some for a later use.
1 quart fresh apple cider
Place cider in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer gently until the cider has reduced to 3/4 to 1 cup. Skim any foam the accumulates while reducing. Cool to room temperature and continue with sauce recipe. Or refrigerate or freeze.
Variations
You may add herbs to the cider after it has reduced for a simple herb-cider sauce. Try mint, marjoram, thyme, basil, sage, or rosemary.
You may add chile peppers, dried or fresh to the cider while reducing.
For the Sauce
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 tablespoons fine julienne of fresh ginger (peel ginger and cut in thin slices lengthwise, then cut each slice into thin matchstick julienned strips)
1 tart apple, quartered, peeled, cored, and sliced crosswise into thin pieces
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup apple cider syrup, above
2 scallions, green part only,thinly sliced on the diagonal
Sea Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Melt the butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ginger and saute for 1 minute. Add the apple slices and cook for 3 minutes, stirring a couple of times. Stir in the vinegar and let it cook until almost evaporated. Stir in the cider syrup and bring just to a boil to heat it through. Toss in the scallions and season the sauce with sea salt and pepper. Serve over dish of choice.
Variation
Replace the apple slices with pear slices if you like.
Recipe and Photograph Copyright Deirdre Davis 2016
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