Celebrate autumn with a sublime dish that celebrates apple season to the max.

It’s a little sweet, a little savory.

It’s hearty and wholesome, loaded with fiber-rich barley and juicy, fresh Pazazz apples.

But also a bit naughty with a creamy, unctuous leek butter sauce made with a splash of hard apple cider that ties everything together beautifully.

What’s not to love?

“Barley Risotto with Pazazz Apples, Sage, and Leek Butter Sauce” is versatile enough to serve as a meatless first course or entree. Or alongside sausages, ham, roast duck, grilled chicken or Thanksgiving turkey or even leftover turkey the day after.

Good thing it’s prime season now through June for Pazazz apples, a late-season variety that’s related to the Honeycrisp. Grown by a small group of family farmers across North America, these shiny red-skinned apples with yellow-green striations are perfect for snacking out of hand or to feature in all manner of sweet or savory recipes.

Best yet apples are extremely rich in fiber, with one medium one providing 4.4 grams of dietary fiber or about 16 percent of the recommended daily value.

They’re not only heart-healthy, but great for your digestive system and for maintaining lower cholesterol levels. They’re also a mood booster with antioxidants that fuel neurotransmitters in the brain to trigger the release of dopamine.

When it comes to apples, Pazazz are hard to beat with their snappy crunch, and sweet, tangy juice. I picked mine up at Safeway to make this delicious dish that’s simple yet impressive enough for company.

Pazazz apples get peeled, cored and sliced, then caramelized in a saute pan with butter and olive oil.

Rather than just cooking barley in a pot of boiling water or broth, here it’s cooked like risotto. That means adding warm broth a little at a time, and stirring frequently until it’s nearly all absorbed before ladling in more liquid, then repeating the process until the barley is tender. Stir in grated Parmesan at the end.

Like risotto, it does take more time and more elbow grease to make barley this way so that the grain’s starch is really incorporated and emulsified. In the end, you’re left not with separate loose grains, but ones that are downright creamy.

The leek butter sauce sounds fancy, but it couldn’t be easier to make. Just add minced leek to a small saucepan with olive oil, and cook until tender. Add in the hard apple cider, and bring to a simmer for 1 minute. Take the pan off the heat, and whisk in small pieces of cold butter, one at a time. Because you’re doing this off heat, the butter will melt but won’t separate; instead, it will maintain its creaminess. In the end, you’ll be left with a luxurious sauce that took less than 5 minutes to make.

To serve, divide the barley risotto among plates or shallow bowls. Top with some of the caramelized apples, shavings of Parmesan, and crispy, fried sage leaves. Spoon some of the leek butter sauce around the perimeter.

The barley is wonderfully nutty tasting, even more so with the Parmesan. Apples and cheese are natural partners, and they do a dance on the palate here that is in perfect harmony. The sage leaves add not only crispiness but a subtle woodsy, eucalyptus taste that imparts a certain coziness that’s so on point for this time of year. As for the butter sauce? It does the job to gild everything with a little richness and prominence.

At its heart, this is pure comfort food. It just gets dressed up a bit, as it should for the grand holidays ahead.

Barley Risotto with Pazazz Apples, Sage, and Leek Butter Sauce

(Serves 4 as an entree)

For the Fried Sage Leaves:

16 fresh sage leaves, rinsed and dried

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

For the Caramelized Apples:

2 Pazazz apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch slices

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

Pinch of kosher salt

For the Barley Risotto:

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 shallot, finely diced

1 1/2 cups pearled barley

1/4 cup hard apple cider

5 to 6 cups warm chicken or vegetable broth

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Salt and pepper, to taste

Shaved Parmesan, for garnishing

For the Leek Butter Sauce:

1 leek, white and light green part only, diced (about 1 cup)

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 cup hard apple cider

7 tablespoons very cold butter, cut into small cubes

1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

Kosher salt, to taste

To make the fried sage leaves: Heat olive oil in a medium stainless steel saute pan over medium-low heat. Add sage leaves and fry, moving and flipping them gently with tongs or a fork, until crisp, about 3 minutes. Remove the crisp sage leaves to a paper towel-lined plate.

To make the caramelized apples: In a large saute pan, heat butter and olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the apple slices in one layer. Allow to cook for about 8 minutes until golden brown, flipping the slices halfway through. Season with a pinch of salt. Turn off the heat, cover to keep warm, and reserve.

To make the barley risotto: Heat olive oil in a heavy medium saucepan on medium heat. Add the shallot, and saute for a minute until softened.

Add pearled barley and toast for a couple of minutes, stirring well until the grains turn glossy.

Pour in the hard apple cider and cook until it nearly evaporates.

Next, start adding the warm chicken stock, about 1 cup at a time, stirring well after each addition. Once it is absorbed, ladle in another cup of stock. Repeat until most of the stock is added and barley is tender (you may not need all the stock), about 45 minutes. If you like your risotto looser, you can add a bit more water or stock at the end.

When the barley is tender, stir in grated Parmesan, and season with salt and pepper. Turn off the heat, cover, and keep warm.

Make the leek butter sauce: In a small saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add leeks, and saute until softened and translucent, about 2 minutes. Add hard apple cider, bring to a simmer, and let cook for 1 minutes. Remove pan from the heat. Whisk in the cold butter, one small cube at a time. The mixture will start to thicken, and turn creamy and glossy. Stir in the lemon juice, and salt to taste.

To serve: If the barley risotto has thickened too much after resting, just stir in a little more warm broth or water until you get the consistency desired. Divide the risotto among four warm shallow bowls. Top each serving with some apple slices, followed by some shaved Parmesan, and 4 fried sage leaves. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the leek butter sauce around the edge of each bowl, and serve.

From Carolyn Jung

More Delicious Recipes for Pazazz Apples: Overnight-Oats Pazazz Apple Muffins with Peanut Butter and Honey-Roasted Peanuts

And: Farro Salad with Pistachios, Tarragon, and Pazazz Apples

And: Cider Braised Pazazz Apples with Coconut “Bacon,” and Garlic

And: Baked Frangipane Apples with Pazazz

And: Pazazz Apple, Brown Rice, Cranberry & Almond Salad

And: Asiago Apple Galette (or Pie)

And: Quick Bread-and-Butter Apple Pickles

And: Cheese Focaccia with Pazazz Apples

And: Williamsburg Wrapples with Pazazz Apples

And: Apple Beehive