The ugly exterior of this mis-shapen apple belies a sublime interior. Calville Blanc is the perfect apple for making the classic French "tarte aux pommes" - but it is equally at home providing the filling for all kinds of English or American apple baking.
Unlike the famous English Bramley cooking apple, Calville Blanc keeps its shape when cooked. If cut into small pieces before cooking it will dissolve into a rich sharp textured puree.
Calville Blanc is a very old apple, known from Normandy in France in the early 1600s. Unusually for an apple with such a Gallic name, it has become quietly popular amongst discerning apple enthusiasts in the UK and North America.
Here is a link to a book by Jacques Medecin, a former mayor of the French city of Nice, which we understand includes a recipe for cooking with Calville apples - Cuisine Nicoise.
Thanks also to Beth at Loxosceles for telling us that Calville Blanc was grown by US president Thomas Jefferson in his garden at Monticello in the 1770s. More info at Twinleaf Journal.
If you like cooking with apples then Calville Blanc d'Hiver is a truely great apple which deserves its place in your orchard or garden - and your kitchen.
