Best Peches Melba Recipes

CHEF JOHN'S PEACH MELBA

Steps:

• Combine raspberries, 1/3 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, water, and balsamic vinegar in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and cook until sugar dissolves and berries collapse, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and strain into a bowl. Cool to room temperature, cover and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.
• Combine 2 cups sugar, 2 cups water, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, and split vanilla bean in a large saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat.
• Place peach halves with cut sides up in the syrup and simmer until tender, 5 to 8 minutes per side, basting with the syrup occasionally. Remove from heat and allow to cool in the syrup. Transfer to a bowl, cover, and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, about 4 hours.
• Remove peach skins and serve each peach half on top of a scoop of ice cream in a bowl. Spoon the raspberry sauce over the top. Garnish with toasted, slivered almonds.

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

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.

PECHES MELBA

Steps:

• Poach peaches:
• Cut a shallow X in bottom of each peach with a sharp paring knife and immerse fruit in a 4-quart heavy pot (preferably wide) of boiling water 30 seconds, then transfer with a slotted spoon to a bowl of ice and cold water to stop cooking. Transfer peaches to a cutting board and peel, starting with cut end, then cut in half, discarding pits.
• Combine sugar and water in cleaned pot. Halve vanilla bean lengthwise with a paring knife and scrape seeds into pot, then add pod and bring mixture to a boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Add peaches, pitted sides down, to sugar syrup, then reduce heat and poach, covered, at a bare simmer 6 minutes. Turn peaches over and continue to poach, covered, until tender, 5 to 6 minutes more.
• Cool peaches in poaching liquid in pot, uncovered, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
• Make raspberry sauce while peaches cool:
• Force raspberries through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing hard on solids.
• Combine sugar and water in a small heavy saucepan. Cover pan (so condensation will wash any sugar crystals down side of pan) and bring to a boil, then remove lid and boil 2 minutes.
• Immediately stir sugar syrup into raspberry purée and cool to room temperature, about 1 hour. Stir in lemon juice. 3Serve peaches over ice cream and drizzled with sauce.

NOT-SO-CLASSIC PEACH MELBA

Steps:

• Make the raspberry sauce: Put 1 cup raspberries and 2 tablespoons sugar in a blender and whiz to liquify. Pour through a fine-meshed strainer and into a medium bowl. Keep cool.
• Using a paring knife, peel and halve the peaches. Slice the halves into half-moon pieces about 3/8-inch thick. Transfer to a bowl. Add 2 teaspoons sugar and a few drops of lemon juice to taste. Toss to coat.
• To serve, arrange peach slices in the bottom of 6 dessert bowls. Top each serving with a scoop or 2 of vanilla ice cream. Splash raspberry sauce over each portion. Garnish with a few raspberries if you wish.