Apples : What Do Chefs Do With Apples? : Recipes: Campanile and Patina restaurants have risen to the Washington State Apple Commission’s challenge to create all-apple menus.

Restaurant chefs are always being asked to put together special “theme” menus. Wine dinners are the most common--the idea is to create dishes that flatter some visiting wine-maker’s product. When truffles are in season, chefs often build a meal around them. (Ken Frank of La Toque went so far as serving truffle ice cream--it sounded weird, tasted swell.) All-garlic menus are frequently offered.

And sometimes special meals are put together for promotional purposes. If, say, the Potato Board is about to launch a new TV campaign, you’ll find some chef somewhere tossing potatoes into every course, from delicate hors d’oeuvres to dessert (potato brownies aren’t bad at all). One of the strangest of these was a lunch Michel Richard of Citrus did for the French soda pop, Orangina. Anyone for Orangina beurre blanc ?

A relatively more reasonable request was made recently by the Washington State Apple Commission. Chefs around the country are being asked to create all-apple menus. In Los Angeles, Campanile and Patina accepted the challenge. Here are the results.

Campanile Apple Menu

Duck consomme with apple brunoise and potato Gorgonzola ravioli , Foie gras with apple spaghetti , Roasted Squab With Applesauce and Polenta , Buckwheat Crepes With Fried Apple Slices

ROASTED SQUAB WITH APPLESAUCE AND POLENTA

4 squabs

Salt, pepper

Olive oil

Applesauce

Polenta

Apple Brandy Sauce

Season squabs to taste with salt, pepper and little olive oil. Grill squab to create linear marks, if desired. Roast at 500 degrees 8 to 10 minutes. Detach breast from squab and slice thinly. Leave legs whole.

For each serving, put some Applesauce on each plate, place 2 Polenta triangles on top. Arrange sliced squab over with legs. Spoon Apple Brandy Sauce and more Applesauce over. Makes 4 servings.

Applesauce

4 Granny Smith apples

1/2 cup Riesling wine

Peel and finely diced 3 apples. Place in skillet with Riesling wine. Simmer about 10 minutes or until tender. Puree quickly in food processor or put through food mill. Finely dice, but don’t peel remaining apple. Quickly saute until browned. Fold into applesauce.

Polenta

4 cups chicken stock

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 tablespoon chopped rosemary

2 cups polenta meal or 2 2/3 cups yellow cornmeal

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Flour

Oil for deep-frying

Place chicken stock, garlic and rosemary in large saucepan. Boil gently 10 minutes. Stir in polenta and cook 8 to 10 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat. Stir in egg and cheese. Turn into jellyroll pan and smooth to about 1/2-inch thickness. Cool.

Cut polenta into 12 squares, then into 24 triangles. Dredge lightly with flour. Heat oil in deep-fryer to 375 degrees. Deep fry triangles, several at time, until golden brown on both sides, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and serve hot. Makes 24 polenta triangles.

Note: Deep-fry only 8 triangles for squab recipe. Cover and save remaining in refrigerator for future use. Or use 1/3 to 1/2 recipe.

Apple Brandy Sauce

2 tablespoons butter

Squab wings and giblets

2 cups water or broth

1/2 cup apple brandy

2 tablespoons minced shallots

Salt

Freshly ground pepper

4 teaspoons arrowroot

Melt butter in saucepan and saute squab wings and giblets. Add water and bring to boil. Cover and simmer until tender. Strain. Return to saucepan and add apple brandy and shallots. Reduce until about half of original measure.

Season to taste with salt and pepper. If needed, thicken with arrowroot dissolved in 2 tablespoons water, heating to desired sauce consistency.

BUCKWHEAT CREPES WITH FRIED APPLE SLICES

3/4 cup pastry flour

1/4 cup buckwheat flour

3 tablespoons sugar

3 tablespoons walnut oil

4 eggs

1 cup half and half

1 1/2 cups milk

3 ounces beer

Butter

Apple cider jelly

Vanilla or coffee ice cream, optional

Cinnamon Apple Crisps

Sift together flours and sugar into large mixing bowl. Make large well in center. Pour walnut oil, eggs, half and half and milk in center. Whisk together liquids, gradually drawing in dry ingredients until well combined. Strain through fine mesh strainer. Refrigerate overnight.

Next day, warm beer in saucepan over very low heat to release carbonation, stirring frequently. Mix with crepe batter.

Melt 1/4 teaspoon butter in small crepe pan over medium low heat. Pour about 3 tablespoons batter into pan, spreading to sides. Cook few minutes until browned on under side. (Turn crepe if desired.) Remove and keep warm while cooking remaining crepes.

Spread very thin layer apple cider jelly over half of each crepe. Fold each into quarters and arrange on warmed individual plate with scoop ice cream and Cinnamon Apple Crisps. Makes 8 servings.

Cinnamon Apple Crisps

3/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

4 gala apples

Oil for deep-frying

Mix sugar and cinnamon in bowl. Core apples and slice into 1/8-inch slices. Coat apples with cinnamon-sugar.

Heat oil to 350 degrees in deep-fryer. Deep-fry apples, few at time until browned. Cool on tray or plate until crisp, then use immediately. (Do not use paper towels; apples will stick.) PATINA APPLE MENU Apple quiche with ham and leeks , Santa Barbara Shrimp With Sour Apple Chutney , Roasted quail with apple slices and Belgian endive , Apple Layer Cake With Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

SANTA BARBARA SHRIMP WITH SOUR APPLE CHUTNEY

1 Golden Delicious apple

1/4 cup butter

16 Santa Barbara shrimp or frozen large shrimp)

Salt, pepper

1/3 cup diced mango

1/2 cup diced red onion

1/2 teaspoon finely chopped ginger root

1/2 teaspoon curry powder

1/8 teaspoon chili powder

2 tablespoons apple juice

1 teaspoon lemon juice

2 tablespoons pomegranate seeds

Peel apple. Cut apple peel into julienne strips and reserve for garnish. Dice apple pulp.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in skillet and saute shrimp until no longer pink. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove shrimp from skillet.

Add remaining butter to skillet. Saute diced apple, mango and red onion about 2 to 3 minutes. Add ginger, curry and chili powders.

Deglaze pan with apple and lemon juices. Add pomegranate seeds. Place mixture in middle of soup plate. Top with sauteed shrimp. Garnish top with julienned apple peel. Makes 4 servings.

APPLE FILO DESSERT WITH VANILLA BEAN ICE CREAM

2 apples

3/4 cup sugar

4 sheets filo dough

1/3 cup butter, clarified

1/2 cup ground almonds

Vanilla bean ice cream

Peel and core apples. Cut each apple into 6 slices. Caramelize 1/2 cup sugar in skillet. Add apples and cook over medium heat about 10 to 15 minutes or until tender.

Brush 1 filo sheet with some clarified butter. Sprinkle some of remaining 1/4 cup sugar and some ground almonds over filo. Top with another sheet filo and repeat brushing with butter and sprinkling with almonds. Repeat with remaining filo sheets.

Cut filo stacks into 4- to 5-inch rounds. Place on baking sheet and bake at 300 degrees about 10 minutes or until golden brown. Stack two rounds filo with caramelized apples in between. Serve with vanilla ice cream. Makes 4 servings.