Peach Melba

Peach Melba

By Joy Almond

Created in the late nineteenth century by the celebrated "king of chefs and chef of kings" Georges Auguste Escoffier, the peach melba is one of the most simple and delicious desserts to make. It was named in honour of the Australian opera singer, Dame Nellie Melba, who also gave her name to Melba Toast, another Escoffier creation. Escoffier met Dame Nellie at the Savoy Hotel in London where he was head chef and Dame Nellie lived for several years. Originally made for a dinner party that Dame Nellie Melba was hosting, Escoffier presented his Peach Melba as creamy vanilla ice cream on a bed of peaches, served on a tray containing an ice sculpture of a swan. The introduction of tart raspberry sauce is to me what gives this dessert such a winning edge but interestingly, it was not until several years later that Escoffier himself included this in the dessert, giving to the world the dessert we know and love today.

A few days ago I was reminiscing about the ice cream desserts that I used to enjoy as a child. My mother, on our annual summer holiday on the east coast of Yorkshire, used to always order a Peach Melba from our favourite ice cream parlour. The Peach Melba that I remember, three scoops of vanilla ice cream, six tinned peach halves and a swirl of fresh raspberry sauce all topped with lashings of whipped cream is my favourite way to make it. Unsophisticated as it is, it tastes delicious and for me has the added benefit of conjuring up memories of many a happy afternoon by the sea. There is something extra special about eating food that you remember as a child, something quite comforting about recreating the food just as you remember it. What Escoffier would think about my version, the bright, gaudy concoction of a seaside ice cream parlour I hardly dare imagine. Hopefully though as a chef who created food to be enjoyed he will be pleased that his creation in whichever form has brought so much pleasure for so long.

For those who would like to create a more sophisticated version of the Peach Melba than the one of my childhood, I have created two versions of this classic dessert. The first version sticks fairly closely to the original in that it only uses the key ingredients that Escoffier used. The swan is optional as an ice swan sculpture is a step too far for me to even attempt, never mind make. The second version I call a Peach Melba Surprise. This version includes meringue and fresh raspberries and the element of surprise comes from the inclusion of a scoop of peach ice cream as well as the vanilla. Peach ice cream has a similar shade to vanilla ice cream though not so similar that you can't tell them apart in a well lit kitchen. Around a dinner table when the lights are low and people are talking however, nobody seems to notice the difference in ice cream until they place it in their mouth.

Classic Peach Melba

A beautiful dessert of sliced peaches, vanilla ice cream and raspberry sauce. Garnish with a few fresh raspberries

Poached Peaches

1 Teabag (preferably a floral tea like Earl Grey)

375ml Water

1 Vanilla Pod

6 - 8 Ripe Peaches

3 tablespoons Honey

Make the tea, removing the tea bag after 3 to 4 minutes, add the Vanilla Pod and let it stand for 24 hours

Slice the peaches and place in a pan with the tea. Bring to the boil.

Add the honey and let the peaches simmer for ten minutes. Serve either warm or cold

Vanilla Ice Cream

375ml Double Cream

225ml Full Fat Milk

75g Brown Sugar

2 Vanilla Pods

3 Large Egg Yolks

Split the vanilla pods and scrape out the seeds in to the cream and milk mixture. Add half the sugar and heat over a low heat until it is warmed through. DO NOT LET IT BOIL. Place in a bowl and let it cool.

In a separate bowl mix the egg yolks with the remainder of the sugar and when smooth blend with the cream mixture. Reheat for about ten minutes until the mixture coats the back of a wooden spoon.

Let it cool and then pour in to your Ice Cream Maker and churn. Freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Raspberry Sauce

300g Raspberries

125g White Sugar

75ml Water

Place the sugar and the water in a pan and boil for a few minutes until all the sugar has dissolved and you have a sugar syrup. Place the raspberries and the syrup in a blender and blitz.

Peach Melba Surprise

As above but the slices of peach and scoops of ice cream sit on a moist and chewy meringue base. Add a scoop of peach ice cream to create the surprise and garnish with raspberries.

Meringue Recipe

4 Large Egg Whites

210g Sugar

Preheat your oven to 140°C and line a large baking sheet with baking parchment.

Place your egg whites in a large bowl and whisk. Once they are really stiff they are ready for the sugar

Add the sugar a tablespoon at a time and keep whisking each time. The mixture is ready when you can turn the bowl over your head and the mixture stays in the bowl,

Create 8 mounds of meringue on your baking sheet and put in the oven for about 50 minutes. Once they are crisp on the outside open the over door a bit, turn the oven off and leave the meringues inside for another 30 minutes

When you are ready to serve bash the tops down so that you can place the ice cream on the top

Peach Ice Cream

450ml Thick Cream

125g Brown Sugar

6 Ripe Peaches (the softer the better)

2 drops Almond Essence

Juice of Half a Lemon

Place the chopped skinned peaches in a saucepan with the lemon juice, almond essence and half the sugar and simmer gently until the peaches are very soft. Let them cool.

Leaving a couple of tablespoons of the soft peaches to one side, add the peaches and juice mixture to the remaining sugar and blitz in a blender until you have a puree

Combine with the cream and churn in your ice cream maker as per your manufacturers instructions. With five minutes churning time to go mash the remaining peaches and add these to the ice cream to give a little bit of texture.

For more homemade ice cream recipes go to my website homemade ice cream

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