Peach Melba Mountain Food

CLASSIC FRENCH PEACH MELBA

Steps:

• Using a deep, wide skillet, heat 1 1/4 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 1 hour.
• Push raspberries and juice from thawing, through a fine-mesh sieve, and then discard seeds and solids; set aside. Bring 1/3 cup sugar and 1/4 cup water to a boil for 2 minutes and remove from heat, stir in lemon juice and zest . Stir simple syrup (sugar mixture) into a seedless raspberry puree and chill for 30 minutes.
• Layer peaches and raspberries over ice cream in frosted dishes and serve.
• Enjoy.

GRILLED PEACH MELBA

Steps:

• Preheat a grill to medium-high heat.
• Place 3/4 cup sugar, water, 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice, and the seeds from the vanilla bean into a small saucepan and set over high heat. Bring the mixture to a boil and boil for 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the heat. Add the peaches; spooning the sauce over them. Set aside.
• Place the raspberries, the remaining 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon sugar into the bowl of a food processor and puree. Pass the mixture through a fine mesh sieve into a small bowl. Cover and set in the refrigerator.
• Once the grill is hot, place the peaches over direct heat and grill on each side for 3 to 4 minutes or until they are tender. Remove from the heat to a container with the syrup and cover with aluminum foil for 5 minutes.
• To serve, place the ice cream into 4 bowls and top each bowl with 2 peach halves. Drizzle each bowl with the raspberry sauce and serve immediately.

PEACH MELBA

Steps:

• Put the water, sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla pod into a wide saucepan and heat gently to dissolve the sugar. Bring the pan to the boil and let it bubble away for about 5 minutes, then turn the heat down to a fast simmer.
• Cut the peaches in half, and if the stones come out easily then remove them, if not then you can get them out later. Poach the peach halves in the sugar syrup for about 2 to 3 minutes on each side depending on the ripeness of the fruit. Test the cut side with the sharp point of a knife to see if they are soft, and then remove them to a plate with a slotted spoon.
• When all the peaches are poached, peel off their skins and let them cool (then you can remove any remaining stones). If you are making them a day in advance then let the poaching syrup cool and then pour into a dish with the peaches. Otherwise just bag up the syrup and freeze it for the next time you poach peaches.
• To make the raspberry sauce, liquidize the raspberries, confectioners' sugar, and lemon juice in a blender or a food processor. Sieve to remove the pits and pour the puree into a jug.
• To assemble the Peach Melba, allow 2 peach halves per person and sit them on each plate alongside a scoop or 2 of ice cream. Spoon the raspberry sauce over each.

PEACH MELBA PIE

Steps:

• Combine both flours, the butter and a pinch of salt in the bowl of a food processor and blitz to a fine crumb. Add cold water 1 tbsp at a time (4-5 tbsp), pulsing until the mix starts to cling together. Tip out and knead with your hands (add more water if required) to make a pliable pastry dough. Split in half and flatten each portion. Wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hr.
• Remove a disc of pastry from the fridge, unwrap and, on a generously floured surface, roll it out to a large, circle, wider than the pie dish. Transfer to a floured baking sheet and chill for about 10 mins. Repeat with the remaining disc.
• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Stone and quarter the peaches. Cut each in two, and toss in a bowl with the lemon juice, cornflour, vanilla extract, sugar, honey and raspberries. Add the butter in small pieces.
• Using a floured rolling pin, drape one of the pastry sheets across a 24cm pie dish. Let it sink in and, holding the edges, lift and tuck into the corners. Prick the pastry all over and fill with the peach mixture.
• Drape the second pastry sheet over the filling. Press together the top and bottom crusts, crimping with your fingers to seal, and trim off any excess. Cut three 8cm slits across the top crust, brush with the beaten egg and sprinkle over the demerara sugar. Bake for 55 mins to 1 hr until the crust is deeply golden and the filling is bubbling out. Cool for about 10 mins before serving with cream or vanilla ice cream.

PEACH MELBA SQUARES

Steps:

• Butter and line a traybake or small roasting tin, about 20 x 30cm. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Gently melt the butter in a large saucepan, cool for 5 mins, add the sugar, vanilla and eggs, then beat until smooth with a wooden spoon. Stir in the flour, almonds and ¼ tsp salt.
• Tip the mix into the tin, then lay the peach slices evenly on top - that way each square of cake will have a bite of fruit. Scatter the raspberries and almonds over, then bake for 1 hr-1 hr 10 mins, covering with foil after 40 mins. Test with a skewer: the middle should have just a tiny hint of squidginess, which will firm up once the cake cools. Cool in the tin for 20 mins, then lift out onto a cooling rack. Once cold, dredge with icing sugar, then cut into squares.

PEACH MELBA SUNDAE

Steps:

• Put a sundae glass or bowl in the freezer to chill. To make the sauce, put the raspberries, sugar and lime juice in a blender, and blitz to a purée, loosening with a splash of water if necessary. Set aside. Meanwhile, whip the cream with the vanilla and icing sugar until it holds its shape, then transfer to a piping bag fitted with a star-shaped nozzle, if you like.
• Pour the champagne or prosecco (if using) into the chilled glass, then neatly layer balls of ice cream, peach wedges, raspberries, raspberry sauce and cream, finishing with a big swirl of cream on the top. Scatter with the toasted almonds and serve straight away with two spoons.

PEACH MELBA

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, bring water and sugar to a boil. Stir in lemon juice and vanilla. Reduce heat to low. Place peach halves cut side up in pan; cook for 5-8 minutes or until tender. Remove from the heat. Cool peaches in syrup for 30 minutes. , Remove peaches with a slotted spoon and place cut side down in a shallow dish. Cover and refrigerate for 2-4 hours or until chilled., In a small microwave-safe bowl, heat raspberry jam for 20 seconds; stir until smooth. Place peach halves cut side up in dessert dishes. Top with ice cream; drizzle with jam.

PEACH MELBA

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, prepare syrup.
• Bring sugar, water, lemon juice and zest to a boil.
• Lower to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes.
• Poach peaches until tender.
• Let them cool in the syrup.
• To prepare the raspberry sauce, in a blender combine raspberries, sugar and lemon juice.
• Process to a puree.
• Remove fruits from syrup.
• To serve, in a small bowl place a scoop of vanilla ice cream, place the fruit on top and cover with raspberry sauce.
• Garnish with whipped cream and toasted almonds.
• For Apricot Melba, use 12 ripe, firm apricots, pitted and halved (no need to skin).

PEACH MELBA POTS

Steps:

• Put the mascarpone, yogurt, sugar, ground cloves and vanilla extract in a large bowl. Using a balloon whisk, beat until smooth. Pour in the cream and whisk again until the mixture just holds its shape - you want it to be soft and pillowy, so be careful not to take it too far.
• Put a little jam in the bottom of 6 small glasses or pots, top with some of the cream mixture, then 4 peach slices and more jam. Follow this with another layer of the cream, a drizzle of jam and finally the raspberries. Can be chilled for up to 5 hrs. Scatter over the hazelnuts and serve with biscotti or amaretti biscuits on the side.

PEACH MELBA

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, combine 1 cup sugar and 2 cups water. Bring to a simmer, and cook, stirring occasionally, until sugar has dissolved. Add lemon juice and peaches. Simmer until peaches are tender when pierced with the tip of a knife, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat, and let stand until room temperature. Carefully remove skins from peaches, and discard. Transfer to a bowl, and refrigerate until chilled.
• Place raspberries in a fine sieve set over a small bowl. Using a rubber spatula, pressing on the raspberries to extract as much juice as possible; discarding solids. Add remaining 2 tablespoons sugar to raspberry juice, and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Serve chilled peaches with vanilla ice cream and raspberry sauce.