Im my point of view, I don't think it is workable.
I also tried to give a slice of apple to my baby girl.
She did hold it & able to crush it by herself (she is having 2 teeth now in her lower jaw).
But later on, I found she was chewing sth again but we didnot give her any food. And then, she seems having suck in her bronchi & started coughing. The reason was due to a small bit of apple in her mouth & she tried to swallow!
So, even my baby can crush the food & chew it in a certain extent. I do think it is too early to skip puree-type food.