Chef Dave Martin was a fan favorite contestant on Top Chef, has consulted, launched, and revamped restaurants in New York, Boston, and California, and he also has been on the catering front lines—his first company, As You Wish Catering, was launched while he was still working on his degree from Le Cordon Bleu.
“Part of the beauty of cooking is—you never know it all,” says the chef via his website. “You can always grow. Part of cooking is—you just love the reaction. You love people to say, ‘oh my god, that was so good.’ I live for that. Food is definitely about celebration. It should be celebrated daily.”
For Catersource’s outdoor issue, Chef Martin provided two recipes with apples leading the charge. Both work infinitely well with grilled, smoked, and BBQ-forward events. Indoors or out, apples are perennial people pleasers.
Savoy Cabbage & Fuji Apple Kimchi
Yield: 3 cups
Ingredients
1 lb Fuji apples*, skin on, julienned
1 lb Savoy or Napa cabbage, core removed, cut into thin slices
½ cup kosher salt
1 cup apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp mirin
2 Tbsp brown sugar
¼ cup Sriracha or Sambal Oelek
2 oz ginger, cleaned and grated
1 oz roasted garlic, smashed
*or similar variety
Method
1. Wash apples. Core and slice into thin, julienned slices. Add salt and mix well. Set aside. Wash and remove outer leaves from cabbage. Cut in quarters and remove tough inner core. Slice across sections into thin slices.
2. Put apples and cabbage into colander. Add salt and mix well. Place over a bowl and let drain, covered, until wilted (about 2 hours).
3. In another bowl, combine vinegar, mirin, and sugar. Stir to dissolve. Add chili paste, ginger, and roasted garlic; stir. Rinse salt from apples and cabbage. Dry well, and add to vinegar mixture. Stir well to combine.
4. Put into a sterilized glass jar and pack the cabbage down. Add enough water to cover and seal tightly. You can also pack in a plastic container and let rest for a couple days to enhance flavor—or just overnight—to et the flavors marry.
Note: This dish is preserved, so it holds in the refrigerator sealed. Serve and use immediately once seal is broken.
Tip: This recipe is spicy and gets spicier the longer it sits. Add or subtract chili paste to your liking. Consider pairing this slaw with hoisin marinated pork.
Sweet & Sassy Pickled Apples
Yield: 8 to 12 servings
Ingredients
4 Pink Lady apples*, cored, sliced into 8 pieces, skin on
2 cups apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 Tbsp sea salt or kosher salt
2 cinnamon sticks
3 star anise, whole
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 tsp whole black peppercorns
1/2 cup dried cherries
*or similar variety
Method
1. Bring vinegar, sugars, salt, cinnamon sticks, star anise, vanilla, and peppercorns to a boil in medium saucepan. Stir until sugar dissolves.
2. Add apples; return to boil.
3. Turn to low heat and cook for about 6–8 minutes, or until a paring knife inserted in center of apple meets slight resistance.
4. Stir in dried cherries. Transfer to bowl and let cool.
5. Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours. Serve pickled apples cold or at room temperature. Pair with homemade ricotta cheese.
Tip: Pickled apples can be stored for up to one month in refrigerator.
