3774. APPLE TERRINE with HONEY ROSEMARY ICE CREAM and BACON PECAN CRUMBLE

Serves: 4

Apple terrine:

4 granny smith apples

75 grams butter, melted

1/3 cup caster sugar

100 grams blue cheese

Honey rosemary ice cream:

2 eggs plus 1 egg yolk

1/4 cup caster sugar

1 tsp rosemary, finely chopped

1½ tbsp honey

250 ml cream whipped to soft peaks

Bacon pecan crumble:

55 grams butter

70 grams flour

80 grams caster sugar

½ tsp star anise, ground

2 tbsp bacon, finely chopped

1 tbsp honey

50 grams pecans

Toffee apples:

1 large granny smith apple, peeled

½ cup caster sugar

To serve:

4 figs, quartered

1 sprig rosemary, leaves removed

60 grams blue cheese

Preheat oven to 180ºC/350ºF.

For the apple terrine, thinly slice the apple on a mandolin. Using a 10cm round springform cake tin, layer the apple. Brush each layer with butter, sprinkle with sugar and crumble the blue cheese. Place onto a shallow baking tray and bake in the oven, covered until terrine is cooked through, about 25 minutes . Remove from oven and place a heavy weight on the terrine. Set aside in the fridge to cool and press.

For the ice cream, place eggs, egg yolk, sugar, rosemary and honey in a bowl over a pan of simmering water. Whisk until thickened and doubled in volume. Remove from heat. Fold the cream through the egg mixture and pour into 4 x ½ cup dariole moulds. Set aside in freezer to set. Freeze remaining ice cream in a small lidded container.

For the bacon pecan crumble, use your fingertips to rub the butter into the flour. Stir through 30g of sugar and star anise. Sprinkle crumb mix onto a lined baking tray and bake until golden, about 15 minutes.

In a frypan, add bacon and cook until crispy. Add honey and caramelise with the bacon. Stir through the crumble mixture.

Place pecans on lined baking tray. Cook remaining sugar in a pan to a deep amber colour. Pour caramel over the pecans and leave to set. Once set, chop the praline finely and mix through the crumble.

For the toffee apples, use a melon baller to scoop small balls out of the apple. Cook sugar in a pan to a deep amber colour and pat apple balls dry then carefully dip into the toffee to coat. Place onto baking paper lined tray.

To assemble, place terrine, ice cream, toffee apples and fig pieces on a plate. Sprinkle with crumble. Garnish with rosemary leaves and crumbled blue cheese.

bacon recipe source: Ashleigh Bareham (contestant), MasterChef Australia, TenPlay, 1 Saunders Street, Pyrmont, NSW 2009, GPO BOX 10, Sydney, NSW 2001