Quarter and peel apples and remove seeds. Cut quarters into large pieces. Place apple pieces, lemon juice, wine, brown sugar and raisins in a saucepan.

Slit open vanilla bean and scrape out seeds. Add seeds and bean to pan. Bring mixture to a boil. Cover and cook over low heat 4 to 5 minutes. Apples should be soft but still hold their shape.

Remove pan from heat. Remove vanilla bean and drain apples, reserving liquid. Stir crème fraîche into liquid and spoon onto serving plates.

Coarsely chop walnuts. Mix with apples and distribute among serving plates. Heat Calvados over low heat, ignite a small amount in a soup or gravy ladle (see below), one serving at a time, and pour over apple and walnut salad. Serve at once.

To flambé:
1. Heat Calvados over low heat in a small saucepan. Scoop a little into a ladle.
2. Ignite alcohol with a long match, taking care nothing else flammable is within reach.
3. Pour flaming alcohol over salad portion; let flames die out. Flambé a little Calvados for each salad portion.

Serves 4. Preparation time 20 minutes; cooking time 10 minutes.