Chef John's Peach Melba

Name: Chef John's Peach Melba
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: French, American
Ingredients: 0.13 tsp Balsamic Vinegar; 3 cups Frozen Raspberries; 1 tbsp Lemon Juice; 3 cups Peach; 0.33 cup Powdered Sugar; 0.25 cup Sliced Almonds; 2 cups Sugar; 1 whole Vanilla Bean; 6 slices Vanilla Ice Cream; 1 tbsp Water

Dessert 🍰Snack 🍿 French 🇫🇷American Low-Sodium Gluten-Free Vegetarian 🥦Halal 🕌Kosher ✡️Pescatarian 🐟

Chef John's Peach Melba layers tender vanilla-poached peaches with a bright, tangy raspberry sauce over scoops of vanilla ice cream, finished with a sprinkle of toasted almonds for crunch. The contrast of silky fruit, fragrant syrup, and nutty texture makes it a standout dessert for summer dinners or special occasions when peaches are at their peak.

Prep15 mins
Cook15 mins
Serves6
DifficultyMedium

1

Gather all the ingredients.
2

In a saucepan over medium heat, combine raspberries, 1/3 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, water, and balsamic vinegar. Bring to a simmer and cook until the sugar dissolves and the berries collapse, 2 to 3 minutes.
3

Remove from the heat and strain into a bowl. Let cool to room temperature, cover, and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.
4

In a large saucepan, combine 2 cups sugar, 2 cups water, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, and the split vanilla bean, and bring to a simmer over medium heat.
5

Place the peach halves, cut sides up, in the syrup and simmer until tender, 5 to 8 minutes per side, basting occasionally with the syrup. Remove from the heat and let cool in the syrup.
6

Transfer to a bowl, cover, and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, about 4 hours.
7

Remove the 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 and garnish with toasted, slivered almonds.