Brandied Peach Melba

5 (1)

For my money, there is no summer dessert more elegant than Peach Melba. Created by French chef Auguste Escoffier at the Savoy Hotel in London to honor the Australian soprano Nellie Melba, it is a dessert befitting a diva. And it takes advantage of all those wonderful summer peaches and is simple to make. Here is how I put it together.

First the poaching liquid. Warm 3 ½ cups of sugar, 3 cups of water, the juice of ½ a lemon and a big splash of brandy until the sugar is dissolved, stirring occasionally. Turn the heat up and let it boil for 5 minutes then reduce the heat to a simmer.

Meanwhile prepare the peaches. Cut 6 – 8 peaches in half and remove the stones if they come out easily. If not, you can remove them later. Add half of the cut peach halves to the poaching liquid and cook for 2 – 3 minutes on each side depending on the ripeness of the peaches. You will know when they are done if a knife slides easily into the cut side. Remove to a plate with a slotted spoon and poach the remaining peaches. When they are cool enough to handle, remove the skin (and any stones) and set aside to cool. Once cool, slice each half into thirds, place in a bowl and add another big splash of brandy.

Now the pièce de resistance – the raspberry sauce. Barefoot Contessa has the easiest and most delicious raspberry sauce. Here is the recipe. Place ½ pint of raspberries, ½ cup sugar, and 1/4 cup water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 4 minutes. Pour the cooked raspberries, 1 cup of seedless raspberry jam, and 1 tablespoon of Framboise (or Brandy) into the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and process until smooth. Pour into a vessel, cover, and chill.

Finally, this is how it comes together. Using the best Vanilla Ice Cream you can buy or make (I always make mine) add a couple of scoops to a low-sided bowl. Spoon a few peaches on top and drizzle with the raspberry sauce.

Whoa Nellie! This is so good! Your guests will LOVE it. I hope you try it while we have all these delicious peaches in season. Enjoy!