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When I was in high school, we moved to Jacksonville, Illinois. That summer, I was riding in the car with my boyfriend when he said, “Look, they have peaches at the gas station, we have to stop.” I was suspicious of the whole idea of gas station fruit.
Moments later, we were sitting on a picnic table, devouring the best peaches I’d ever had as the juices dripped onto our bare legs. We’ve all heard of Georgia peaches, but these were Calhoun County peaches, and they don’t ever make it beyond the farmstand—the locals make sure of that.
When you have great peaches, you don’t need to do much to them. That’s the beauty of the dish Peach Melba. With the fancy pedigree of being created by famed French Chef Auguste Escoffier, you’d think the recipe would be elaborate, but really, it doesn’t have to be. You can make my easy version of Peach Melba with frozen fruit and vanilla extract to save time and money while still enjoying the classic flavor combination.
Simply Recipes / Photo by Julia Gartland / Food Styling by Samantha Seneviratne
What Is Peach Melba?
Created for opera singer Nellie Melba in the 1890s, Escoffier’s original recipe for Peach Melba was simply fresh peaches poached in syrup made with a vanilla bean and served over vanilla ice cream. Later, the chef added a drizzle of raspberry sauce.
Poaching halved peaches in a vanilla-infused syrup adds the fragrance of vanilla to the fruit. For the sauce, the raspberries are traditionally simmered with sugar and lemon and pressed through a sieve to make it smooth and seedless.
What Fruit To Use in This Recipe
With such simple ingredients, the peaches are the star of the show in this dish. This is a recipe to show off peak-season, ripe fruit, not rock-hard winter imports. That said, poaching in syrup is one way to improve a slightly under-ripe peach.
When the brief moment of perfectly ripe local peaches has ended, I use frozen sliced peaches in this recipe instead of imported peaches. I also use frozen raspberries for ease and cost, and skip both the cooking and the straining to make the recipe quicker and easier. I don’t mind a little crunch from the seeds, but if you do, press the purée through a fine-mesh strainer.
Simply Recipes / Photo by Julia Gartland / Food Styling by Samantha Seneviratne
More Summery Fruit Desserts
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1 3/4 cups (350 g) sugar, divided
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1 1/2 cups water
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3 1/2 teaspoons fresh-squeezed lemon juice, divided
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1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
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4 large, ripe peaches, halved and pitted, or 2 (10-ounce) bags frozen sliced peaches, thawed
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1 cup frozen raspberries, thawed
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Vanilla ice cream, for serving
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Poach the peaches:
In a wide, deep skillet, combine 1 1/2 cups of the sugar, the water, 3 teaspoons lemon juice, and the vanilla. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring until the sugar is dissolved.
If using fresh peaches, place the peach halves carefully in the boiling syrup. Cook until tender, about 3 minutes per side, testing by piercing with a paring knife. When tender, use a slotted spoon to transfer the peaches to a bowl and let sit until room temperature, 5 to 10 minutes. Slip the skins from the cooled fruit.
If using frozen sliced peaches, add the thawed peach slices to the boiling syrup and return to a boil. Cook for 2 minutes, then remove from the heat and let the fruit cool in the syrup until room temperature, 15 to 20 minutes.
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Make the sauce:
In a blender jar, combine the raspberries, remaining 1/4 cup sugar, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice. Purée until smooth, about 2 minutes. If desired, press through a fine-mesh strainer to remove the seeds.
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Serve:
To serve, place two peach halves or 1/2 cup slices in each of four serving bowls. Add a scoop of ice cream to each bowl and drizzle each with 2 tablespoons of raspberry sauce. Serve immediately.
Store any leftover peaches with their sauce and raspberries separately in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 4 days.
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| Nutrition Facts (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 435 | Calories |
| 1g | Fat |
| 110g | Carbs |
| 2g | Protein |
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| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings: 4 | |
| Amount per serving | |
| Calories | 435 |
| % Daily Value* | |
| 1g | 1% |
| Saturated Fat 0g | 0% |
| 0mg | 0% |
| 5mg | 0% |
| 110g | 40% |
| Dietary Fiber 6g | 21% |
| Total Sugars 104g | |
| 2g | |
| Vitamin C 26mg | 130% |
| Calcium 27mg | 2% |
| Iron 1mg | 5% |
| Potassium 413mg | 9% |
| *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. | |
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.
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