Recipe: Chef Hayden Johnston’s award-winning apple cider posset

Photo above showcase a plating option.

One of RC Show 2018’s most exciting events was the Garland Canada Culinary Competition.

Following three days of fierce competition, Thunder Bay native and Richmond Station Chef-de-Cuisine Hayden Johnston could not contain his joy when he was awarded first place.

He shares his winning recipe exclusively with us: an apple cider posset.

A posset is an old-school type of English pudding that is set using an acid (in this recipe I use a few sheets of gelatin sheets to help).

This recipe is versatile in terms of what type acid can be used to help set the pudding. Hayden recalls, “in this case, I used Ontario apple cider vinegar from Niagara Vinegars but have made it using different citrus juices as well as other flavoured vinegar.” If your plan is to use citrus juice, you must use double the amount of apple cider used in this recipe.

Hayden also shares that he likes to garnish a posset with a couple of textural components like a crumble or granola, something fresh like a fruit sorbet or granita and a colourful component or two. The white pudding is a pleasure to plate on top of and lends itself beautifully to those with a creative touch.

“I can’t take full credit for this recipe,” confesses Hayden. He adds, “I have been lucky to work with a couple great pastry chefs at Richmond Station who helped me throw this one together! Thank you, Louis and Farzy.”

Cider Posset

1 L Whipping Cream
225g White Sugar
100g Cider Vinegar
3 Gelatin sheets

• 1- Bloom gelatin sheets in water.
• 2- Boil the cream and sugar for three minutes while whisking the whole time.
• 3- Remove from heat and stir in the vinegar and gelatin sheets.
• 4- Pour mixture into desired bowls and let set in the fridge overnight.

Cinnamon Crumble

1.5 cups all-purpose flour
¾ cup isomalt
100g cold pressed canola oil
22g tapioca maltodextrin
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice

1. Preheat oven to 325 F.
2. Whisk together flour, isomalt, canola oil and spices in a large bowl.
3. Whisk tapioca into the mixture until thoroughly incorporated.
4. Bake crumb until golden brown (10-15 min).
5. Let cool completely before plating.

Green Apple Sorbet

600g apple puree
375g water
187g sugar
187g glucose

1. Bring water, sugar and glucose to a boil.
2. Blend together with apple puree.
3. Allow to cool before churning.