Recipe of the week: An apple-rhubarb crumble from Spago

Crumbles are climbing to new heights, says Betty Hallock in the Los Angeles Times. No longer content with “effete versions of pie interruptus,” pastry chefs are using seasonal fruits to create complex, buttery-crusted desserts that have an identity all their own. This extraordinary summer treat was created by Sherry Yard, executive pastry chef at Spago in Beverly Hills.

Recipe of the week

Spago’s Pink Lady Apple, Fennel, and

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Rhubarb Crumble With Buttermilk Sherbet

Buttermilk sherbet

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/4 tsp lemon zest

2 cups buttermilk

1/4 cup lemon juice

Pinch of salt

In heavy metal saucepan combine sugar and water. Bring to boil. Remove from heat, stir in heavy cream, zest, buttermilk, lemon juice, pinch of salt. Freeze according to ice cream maker’s instructions. Makes about 3-1/2 cups.

Almond crumble

1/4 cup butter, ice-cold

1/4 cup flour

1/4 cup almond meal or almond flour

1/4 cup powdered sugar

Pinch of salt

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Cut butter into 1/4-inch pieces. Place flour, almond meal or flour, powdered sugar, pinch of salt into bowl of mixer fitted with paddle attachment. On low speed, paddle dry ingredients until evenly distributed. Add cold butter and watch closely while you blend for

about 1 minute or until mixture resembles small pebbles.

Remove mixture from mixer, scrape down. Spread mixture evenly onto parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake 8 minutes. Remove fromoven and with offset metal spatula toss crumble to distribute. Return to oven and bake for 2–3 minutes, until crumble is evenly golden brown.

Apple, fennel and rhubarb filling

1 lb Pink Lady apples, peeled, quartered, and sliced

1/2 pound fennel

1/2 pound rhubarb, peeled and sliced into

1/8 -inch slices

3/4 cup verjuice, divided

2/3 cup apple juice

1 cup sugar, divided

3 tbsp cornstarch

2 tbsp lemon juice

1/4 tsp rose water

1/4 tsp orange zest

(Note: Verjuice is available at specialty food stores.)

Grate apple and fennel on box grater on medium holes directly into large stainless steel mixing bowl. Squeeze juice from grated apple and fennel and pour juice into saucepan. Add rhubarb to bowl; toss apple, fennel, and rhubarb and set aside.

Add half the verjuice, the apple juice, half the sugar to pan and bring to boil. In small cup, mix together remaining sugar and cornstarch. Add remaining verjuice and stir to create a slurry. Add to juice. Bring back to

boil, then reduce heat and cook for 2 minutes until thickened and bubbling. Pour juice mixture over fruit. Add lemon juice, rose water, orange zest. Stir to combine. Spoon fruit mixture into 8-oz ramekins. Top with 2–4 tbsp of baked crumble. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes on the lower rack.

If crumble starts to darken, cover with foil. Serve with buttermilk sherbet. Serves 8.