How to make: chef Josh Eggleton's apple & blackberry crumble

A word from the chef:​

Eggleton says: “I think [the dessert] is much better with the addition of blackberries. We always have blackberries in late autumn, which can be picked and frozen as they grow in abundance all over the countryside.

“The topping is cooked through separately before being placed on top of the filling. This ensures that the dish has a gratifying crunch.”

Ingredients​

(Filling) 200g Blackberries, 6 cooking apples, 150g Demerara Sugar, ½ tsp ground cinnamon, ½ tsp ground ginger, ½ tsp ground cloves, Pinch of salt

(Topping) 200g plain flour, 100g butter, 120g Demerara sugar, 100g toasted almonds, 50g rolled oats

Method​

• Preheat the oven to 180°C

The topping​

• Put the butter, flour and sugar in a food processor until the mix starts to clump together. It should consist of lumps of different sizes but not be fully combined.
• Place the mix in a bowl and fold in the almonds and the oats. Line a baking sheet with baking paper and spread the mix over it evenly.
• Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, turning every seven minutes or so until it’s crumbly and golden. Set aside to cool.

The filling​

• Peel and core the apples and then cut either into wedges or large cubes. Put the apples in a medium-sized pot and mix in the sugar, salt and spices.
• Place over a medium-high heat and stir occasionally. As soon as two or three of the apples start to break down, remove from the heat, stir in the blackberries and then spread the mix on a tray. This will help keep the apples from overcooking – they should still be al denté.

To serve​

• Using either four individual bowls or one large serving dish, spread the fruit mix evenly, filling up about ¾ of the depth of your chosen container.
• Layer the crumble on top and gently reheat in the oven at about 160°C for 15 minutes or slightly longer if the filling has been chilled.
• Serve with cream, custard or ice cream

And to drink?​

Beer sommelier Jane Peyton recommends pairing a Plum Porter by Titanic Brewery with Eggleton’s crumble.

She says: “Porter beers have coffee and chocolate characteristics that go beautifully with cooked apple. They have the bitterness to contrast the sweetness of the crumble. Add in the plums in this beer and those blackberries will find a very fruity friend.”