When I was a child, my mother would often make "compote de pommes", what is called in English "apple sauce".
However, in France it is a dessert, not a sauce that accompanies meat dishes.

How I Make "Compote de pommes"

Ingredients (for 4 servings)

• 6 Granny Smith apples
• 1 packet of vanilla sugar
• ground cinnamon

The first thing to do is to prepare the apples. For this, I use a wonderful device that peels, slices, and cores the apples.

I use the apple machine on each apple, collecting the skins in a bowl to avoid having them all over the kitchen counter.

Then, I cut the spirally sliced apples into quarters.

This is what I get from the 6 apples.

I put the sliced apples in a pot with the ground cinnamon and the vanilla sugar. The amount of ground cinnamon depends on your taste. At one point, I have made the mistake of mixing too much cinnamon, and my daughters did not like the result at all.

I don't add any water to the mix.

I cover the pot and cooked it at low heat for 2 to 3 hours, stirring occasionally.

I can eat it warm, but the truth is that I prefer it cold, probably because this was how it was served to us by my mother during our childhood.

-- Vincent Celier (who is NOT a very good cook)