Peaches in Muscat - Recipe International

recipe image

This image courtesy of Joseph DeLeo

The Italians have a way of making a special dessert out of unmessed-up simple ingredients. It’s something to do with their touch. I mean — take affogato, which is just a scoop of vanilla ice cream “drowned” by having a strong hot cup of espresso thrown over it. Or there’s sgroppino, which is a scoop of sorbet in a glass, topped up with a fizzy hit of Prosecco. Dessert can be entirely store-bought and still feel like a treat: You just buy a bottle of Vin Santo and provide cantuccini biscuits to dunk in.

And I love the way they make fruit feel special too, just by washing grapes, cherries, and apricots and sitting them in bowls of ice water directly on the table. This recipe is scarcely more work, and if you don’t want to do any of it in advance, then just put a bottle of Muscat wine on the table and a bowl of peaches, give everyone a sharp knife and a glass, and let them pour their own Muscat and slice in their own peaches.

Serves6

CostModerate

Easy

Total Timeunder 15 minutes

Make Ahead RecipeYes

OccasionCasual Dinner Party, Cocktail Party, Formal Dinner Party

Recipe Coursedessert

Five Ingredients or LessYes

Moodromantic, stressed

Taste and Texturefruity

Type of Dishdessert, fruit

Ingredients

4 ripe peaches
1 cup sweet Muscat wine or other good dessert wine
Heavy cream or ice cream for serving, optional

Instructions

Over a bowl (to catch juices), cut each peach into slices.
When all the peaches are sliced, pour in the Muscat wine and make sure the peaches are more or less fully immersed. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 6 hours; sometimes it helps to be able to get stuff done in advance.
Remove the peaches to a pretty glass bowl or to individual small glasses and serve — still chilled — with a pitcher of heavy cream or some vanilla ice cream alongside.

2007 Nigella Lawson