Here’s a continuation of Peach Week. On Wednesday, I presented a recipe for Grilled Peaches and yesterday there was a post Peach Glazed Pork Chops with Grilled Peaches as the side dish. But grilling makes these peaches ideal for dessert, too. Really ideal.
Pictured above are grilled peaches atop vanilla ice cream topped with streusel of your choice. Or, instead of streusel, just make a combination in your blender of nuts, brown sugar, and perhaps a teaspoon of spice like cinnamon. Whir away until chopped and then crown your dessert.
Warm and very sweet peaches over hard cold vanilla ice cream is combination of contrasts that is sure to please. The peaches will be soft and easily divided by your spoon. The ice cream, hard or soft or in between, will provide just a little more resistance. The peaches, basted while grilled, will be satisfyingly sweet.
And that’s no matter what path you select in making the glaze below. I know, employing the scallion option for the basting liquid for a dessert probably sounds a little wild. Think Thai.
So, here is a generic recipe for grilled peaches. If you have never grilled them, you are in for a surprising treat. Grilling draws out the juices and intensifies the sweetness. To prevent any drying out, you do need to baste the peaches and that’s where the fun begins.
That generic basting recipe below — peach jam + soy sauce + ginger — is a template. Peach jam on peaches? No, it is not overkill, but you can change up the jam flavor. To what? Well, think about all the different peach pie ideas you have seen: peach + blueberries or cherries or even strawberries. Any bright jam will do.
The soy sauce is the “liquid” you need here but the liquid can be changed to something more elaborate or even alcohol-based. You can use some melted butter, some rum, some peach vodka. What you want is enough liquid here to convert the jam into something with a consistency that lets you baste away.
The ginger is the spice, but other spicy ideas are possible. You can use dry mustard or regular liquid mustard. A teaspoon — not two tablespoons — of cinnamon give you a more “desserty” dish. Alternatively, you can go savory with some finely diced scallion, for color and flavor, or some onion or even garlic powder. Go light on the spices. You want to brighten the peaches, not bury them.
Grilled Peaches
Yield: serves 4
Ingredients:
- 1 18-ounce jar peach preserves — or the jam or your choice
- ¼ cup soy sauce — or the liquid of your choice
- 2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger — or the spice mixture/components of your choice
- 4 peaches, peeled, halved and pitted
Preparation:
Prepare your grill and let the coals burn down to a very hot gray.
Peel and pit and the peaches. Grill them or 2-3 minutes on each side or until they are fork tender. Baste throughout the cooking period with your sauce, keeping the peaches happily moist.
Or, if don’t want to grill, simply put the peaches on a sheet tray covered with aluminum foil and broil in your oven for the suggested time. You will still need to baste often, however, so the oven is a little more complicated than the grill.
Source: Inspired by Grill Nation by David Guas [Oxmoor House, 2015]
Photo Information: Canon T2i, EFS 60mm Macro Lens, F/.5 for 1/50th second at ISO‑1600