Peche Melba... A Homage to a Diva!

I had forgotten to publish this before I left for the lake so in a pinch for a post, here it is.

The move has been slower than I expected, seeing the house is larger than I anticipated (a good thing) and there are three levels ( a bad thing). It has been raining since I got here a week ago so I have to stop everything to clean up 8 little paws every time the dogs go out. Needless to say my lower back, which has always been a problem, is giving me a hard time. My daughter has promised to connect the wireless tonight as I have been working off this miniature laptop which is a pain in the neck. I will try to post at least twice a week for the next two weeks but forgive me if im not too chatty...its the exhaustion. I'm moving muscles I didnt know existed. Today I counted the steps up to the second floor ...sixteen!! and down to the lower level another sixteen..and most of the boxes are stacked up in the garage! So I would be lying to you if I told you I was cooking wonderful things every night. I will be back full force in a week or two.

The Peach Melba was made in honor of Australian opera singer Dame Nellie Melba by French chef Auguste Escoffier at London's Savoy hotel in 1894.

This recipe for Peches Melba (Melba Peaches) uses an often neglected and little known cooking technique called white poaching to keep the peaches firm. When white poaching, the ingredients are brought to barely a simmer and then the whole pan is removed from the heat. The hot mixture stays in the pan for a time, gently cooking in its own heat as it cools. The result is perfectly cooked, and never mushy.

This is the final dessert for the summer season so enjoy the peaches while they last!

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes

Makes 12 servings.

Ingredients:

6 ripe peaches, peeled and pitted
1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
2 cups water
¾ teaspoon vanilla extract

Sauce:

1 12-oz. package frozen unsweetened red raspberries, thawed in bowl
1/3 cup granulated sugar
¼ cup water
1 ½ teaspoons lemon juice
¼ teaspoon lemon zest

Vanilla ice cream

Mint

Preparation:

Using a deep, wide skillet, heat 1 ¼ cups sugar and 2 cups water to boiling. After sugar dissolves, add peaches in a single layer. Reduce heat to just under simmering and poach, covered, for 5 minutes. Using tongs or a slotted spoon, gently turn all the peaches over, cover, and continue poaching for 3 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and allow peaches to sit in hot syrup for an additional 4 minutes. Stir in vanilla extract. Chill peaches in syrup for at least one hour.

Sauce:

Push raspberries and juice left from thawing through a fine-mesh sieve, and then discard seeds and solids; set aside. Bring 1/3 cup sugar and ¼ cup water to a boil for 2 minutes and remove from heat, stir in lemon juice and zest. Stir simple syrup (sugar mixture) into seedless raspberry puree and chill for 30 minutes.

Layer peaches and raspberries over ice cream in frosted dishes, decorate with mint leaves and serve.

Photo: Chris Bayley