Use this adaptable fruit in miso charlottes, in both mustard and slaw for a super-powered sausage sandwich, and as a hot sauce to go with potato cakes

W hen it comes to wine, most of us are happy to reach for the adjectives when describing the difference between one squeezed grape juice and another. When it comes to apples, however, we don’t generally get much further than “tart” or “sweet”. Which is our loss, and one not helped by the discrepancy between the number of apple varieties grown in the UK (ie, lots – about 2,000 or so) and the number we are likely to get hold of and eat (ie, not lots – about five or six max). Apples can be all sorts of things beyond tart and sweet: they can be nutty, or have hints of pineapple or aniseed or strawberry; they can be fine or coarse in texture; and they can hold their shape when cooked or collapse into a pulp. While today’s dishes make use of the apples that are easily available in our shops, they also show how versatile this fruit is: apple hot sauce, apple mustard, apple slaw – recipes that, I hope, call out both to be made, and to encourage a few more fancy adjectives.

The apple mustard and slaw also work with all sorts of other things, so play around with other proteins and sandwich fillings. The mustard keeps well in an airtight jar in the fridge for up to a week, but the slaw should be made just before serving, so it doesn’t go soggy.

Prep 20 min Cook 45 min Makes 6

6 pork sausages – whatever type you fancy 2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for greasing 6 bread rolls, warmed through

For the slaw 2 tbsp (25g) yellow mustard seeds 60ml rice vinegar 20ml water 20g caster sugar 2 pink lady apples ½ small onion, thinly sliced on a mandoline (80g) 20ml lemon juice 1⅓-1½ tbsp (5g) very finely chopped coriander 1¾ tbsp (5g) very finely chopped chives Flaked sea salt

For the apple mustard 200g tinned apples, drained 2 tbsp dijon mustard 1 tbsp English mustard 2 tsp maple syrup 3 tbsp mayonnaise

Put the mustard seeds, vinegar, water and sugar in a small saucepan, bring to a boil, then turn down the heat to medium and simmer gently for eight minutes. Remove from the heat and leave the pickle to cool to room temperature.

Meanwhile, put all the ingredients for the apple mustard in a blender or food processor, blitz smooth, then scrape into a clean jar.

Heat the oven to 220C (200C fan)/425F/gas 7. Rub the sausages with a little oil, put on an oven tray lined with greaseproof paper and bake for 25-30 minutes, turning them once halfway, until nicely browned all over and cooked through.

Drain the cooled mustard seeds through a sieve, discard the liquid and put the seeds in a large bowl. When you’re ready to serve, cut the unpeeled apples into fine slices down to the core, then cut into matchsticks, add to the bowl with the onion, lemon juice, coriander, chives, the two tablespoons of olive oil and a good pinch of flaked salt, and stir to combine.

Spread some apple mustard in the warm rolls, top with the hot sausages and the apple slaw, and serve with the rest of the mustard alongside.

Nothing beats a warm, comforting pudding when the evenings start to draw in. This take on the classic apple charlotte, a nursery pudding if ever there was one, features white miso, which adds a welcome saltiness and depth to the soft, cooked apples. The charlottes can be assembled a few hours ahead and kept in the fridge until ready to bake – if you do this, add five minutes to the baking time.

Prep 40 min Cook 40 min Serves 4

6 small granny smith apples, peeled, cored and chopped into 1cm dice (500g net weight) 2 tbsp lemon juice 1 tbsp vanilla bean paste 150g caster sugar 60g unsalted butter, cut into 2cm cubes 3½ tsp white miso paste 2 tbsp double cream 300g sliced white bread, crusts cut off 125g unsalted butter, melted 1½ tbsp white sesame seeds Custard or ice-cream, to serve

Put the apples in a medium bowl with the lemon juice and vanilla, toss and set to one side.

Heat a 24cm saute pan over a high heat. Sprinkle in the sugar and cook, stirring every now and then, for about five minutes, until you have dark amber caramel. Off the heat, whisk in the butter and miso paste, then return the pan to a high heat, add the apples and cook, stirring frequently, for about seven minutes, until the fruit is cooked through but still holds its shape.

Stir in the cream and take off the heat. Drain the apples through a sieve set over a jug, to collect all the caramel juices, then tip the fruit into a bowl and refrigerate.

Heat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6. Lightly grease four 7cm-wide mini metal pudding moulds with a little melted butter. Brush one side of each slice of bread with the rest of the melted butter and, using a 5½cm round cutter, stamp out four bread circles. Cut the rest into roughly 3cm-wide strips. Spread the sesame seeds on a small plate, dip the buttered side of the four bread circles into the sesame seeds, then put one, sesame seed side down, in the base of each mould.

Use the bread strips to line the sides of the moulds, leaving a 2cm overhang, and overlapping the strips slightly so there are no gaps. Spoon in the apples to fill, then draw over the overhanging bread strips to cover and seal the puddings, pinching off any excess, if necessary.

Put the puddings on a baking sheet and cover with a piece of greaseproof paper. Put another baking tray on top, pressing down firmly, then bake with the tray still on top for 25 minutes.

Carefully unmould the puddings and serve warm with the miso caramel sauce alongside and some custard or ice-cream.

This hot sauce is a wonderful way to use up apples when you don’t want to make yet another pie or crumble. It keeps well in a sterilised bottle or jar in the fridge for about three months, and can be drizzled on just about anything and everything. If you don’t have bramleys, just use any other apples you have to hand, though you’ll need to adjust the acidity levels accordingly. The potato cakes and chive cream are just one idea to serve with the ketchup.

Prep 20 min Cook 55 min Makes 1 x 500ml jar

For the apple hot sauce 2 bramley apples, peeled and cored (350g) 200ml apple juice 150g red cayenne chillies, roughly chopped (pith and seeds removed if you prefer less heat) 3 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped 15g piece fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped 1 cinnamon stick 1 tsp maple syrup 170ml apple cider vinegar Salt and black pepper

For the potato cakes (makes 8, to serve 4), optional 850g baking potatoes, peeled 1 tbsp cumin seeds, toasted and lightly ground in a mortar 60ml olive oil

For the chive soured cream (to serve 4), optional 300g soured cream 30g chives, roughly chopped 2 lemons, 1 juiced, to get ½ tbsp, the other cut into quarters

Put all the ingredients for the hot sauce in a large saute pan for which you have a lid, and add a teaspoon of salt. Set over a medium-high heat and cook, covered, for 15 minutes, until the apples and chillies have softened and there is just a bit of liquid left in the pan. Remove the cinnamon stick, then tip the hot apple mixture into a food processor and blitz for about five minutes, until smooth. Pass through a sieve set over a medium bowl, and discard any solids left behind in the sieve. Pour the sauce into a sterilised 500ml jar or bottle, leave to cool, then seal and store in the fridge.

For the potato cakes, fill a large saucepan with two litres of water, add the potatoes and two teaspoons of salt, then bring to a boil, cover and simmer on a medium-high heat for 12-15 minutes, until a knife goes through easily but still meets some resistance (the potatoes shouldn’t be completely cooked through). Drain and set aside to cool.

Heat the oven to 110C (90C fan)/225F/gas ¼. When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, using a box grater, roughly grate them into a large bowl. Add the cumin, three-quarters of a teaspoon of salt and a good grind of pepper, and mix well. The potatoes will be sticky so have to hand a small bowl of oil to make them easier to shape. Divide the potato mixture into eight 75g balls, then, with oiled hands, flatten each one out to about 6cm in diameter.

Put two tablespoons of oil in a large frying pan on a medium-high heat and, once hot, fry the potato cakes in batches of two or three for about four minutes, until golden brown underneath, then flip, flatten again with a spatula and cook on the other side. Once cooked, transfer to an oven tray lined with kitchen paper and keep warm in the low oven while you cook the remaining potato cakes.

Meanwhile, put 100g soured cream in the small bowl of a food processor, add the chives, lemon juice and a half-teaspoon of salt, and blitz smooth, until flecked with green. Pour into a bowl and fold in the rest of the soured cream.

To serve, spread the chive soured cream on one side of a platter and drizzle a little hot sauce on top. Arrange the potato cakes and lemon wedges alongside, and serve with extra hot sauce on the side.