Fresh Peach Melba - Peaches Part 3
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Peach Melba – Peaches Part 3

September 14, 2020
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Peach Melba – a delicious, decadent and yet very simple dessert. I couldn’t resist sharing this with you as one more fresh peach recipe. This is the final installment in the Peaches series. Welcome to Peach Melba – Peaches Part 3.

So we have been through Fresh Peach Scones https://teastheseason3.com/fresh-peach-scones-peaches-part-1/. Last week, we treated ourselves to Fresh Peach and Raspberry Turnovers https://teastheseason3.com/fresh-peach-and-raspberry-turnovers-peach-part-2/. And now our final homage to the amazing peach….Peach Melba.

This dessert is a Victorian dessert with a fun history. Let’s take a little historical journey to learn about how Peach Melba came about. In the 1800’s in Melbourne Australia, there was a young opera singer by the name of Helen “Nellie” Porter Mitchell. Through several challenges in her life, she would travel to Paris and study opera with the famous Madame Marchesi, who would convince Nellie to change her last name to Melba, a shortening of her hometown Melbourne.

Nellie Melba – In Opera Costume

Nellie Melba had become a celebrity in the opera scene and soon met the famous French chef Auguste Escoffier. It was common to create and name lavish items for celebrities. For Dame Nellie Melba, he created Peche Melba, a simple dish of a poached peach served on ice cream with a raspberry sauce. Now known as Peach Melba….the classic combination of peach and raspberry.

Though simple to make, this dessert is far from simple in the flavors that it presents to those who have the chance to enjoy it. I present to you Peach Melba.

Ingredients

  • 4 large fresh peaches
  • sugar
  • water
  • vanilla bean (or vanilla extract)
  • fresh raspberries (or frozen raspberries)
  • fresh lemon juice
  • powdered sugar
  • vanilla ice cream
  • fresh raspberries for garnish (optional)

Preparing the Peaches

This is a poached peach recipe. If you haven’t poached fruit – hold on for something simple and delicious and truly brings out the flavor of the fruit.

In a saucepan, take 1 cup water and 1 cup sugar. Bring this to a boil and boil for 5 minutes. If you are using a vanilla bean, place the bean in the liquid before boiling. If you are using vanilla extract, add this after you have boiled the poaching liquid. I used vanilla extract. You are creating a syrup in which you will be poaching the peaches.

Poaching liquid for Peach Melba

Once you have boiled the poaching liquid, pull off the heat. Cut your peaches in half and remove the pit.

Halved and pitted fresh peaches for Peach Melba

Place the peaches in the liquid and allow to simmer for 3 minutes. The sugar and vanilla will permeate the peach making the whole flavor just intense.

For demonstration purposes, I only poached one peach. The recipe calls for 4 large peaches which will yield 8 servings. I did not adjust the poaching liquid.

Poached peaches for Peach Melba

Once done poaching, remove from the pan and allow to cool. Peel the peaches. The skin should come off easily – like you have blanched them only in a sugar vanilla bath.

Poached peaches peeled and ready to be served for Peach Melba - Peaches Part 3

Reserve the poaching liquid as you can store the peaches in them until you are ready to serve. And the poaching liquid is amazing. I have reserved mine because I have to think of something else to do with this delicious liquid that takes on the sweet peach flavor with a hint of vanilla. Both the peaches and the raspberry sauce can be done ahead of time.

Reserved poaching liquid for Peach Melba.

Preparing the Raspberry Sauce

Ingredients for Raspberry Sauce for Peach Melba

You will need 3 cups of fresh raspberries or 12 ounces of frozen raspberries. I used frozen. They should be thawed. Place them in your blender, along with the powdered sugar and fresh lemon juice. Blend till smooth. Many other recipes have you cook the raspberry sauce – this blender method is easy and quick and does not require cooking.

Once done blending, you will want to strain the seeds out. This can be tedious but absolutely necessary. A helpful trick to straining the seeds is to use a ladle to push the puree through. I use this method for straining seeds or zest from sauces, rocking the ladle back and forth in the strainer.

Once you have completed straining the sauce, place in container and refrigerate until use. This sauce can be frozen as well and is a great basic raspberry sauce.

Serving Fresh Peach Melba

Now that you have the components of your Fresh Peach Melba. Here is how it comes together.

Take a large scoop of vanilla ice cream and place in a dish. Take one of the peach halves and set it against the ice cream. Top with the raspberry sauce.

Its that simple but absolutely decadent. There are variations of this recipe but the essence is the same. I like to serve with short bread cookies or a sprinkling of almond slivers, as the original recipe has. You can also garnish with fresh raspberries but honestly, just the way it is – this dessert is amazingly uncomplicated and yet very indulgent.

I imagine sitting in a dining room, after having just retired from the opera. We have been served a sumptuous meal in the Victorian style and are now ending the the evening with this simple yet well placed treasure…..Peach Melba. Enjoy!

Peach Melba - Peaches Part 3
Peach Melba
Peach Melba
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5 from 9 votes

Peach Melba

A simple and delicious fresh peach dessert with a poached peach on top of vanilla iced and topped with a raspberry sauce.
Course Dessert
Cuisine French
Keyword Fresh Peach Melba, Peach Melba
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Cooling 15 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 8 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract If using a vanilla bean, 1 bean sliced open
  • 4 large peaches, halved and pitted

Raspberry Sauce

  • 12 ounces frozen raspberries, thawed If using fresh raspberries, use 3 cups
  • 3 tbsp powdered sugar
  • 1½ tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1 pint vanilla ice cream

Instructions

  • Combine the sugar and water in saucepan. Bring to boil and allow to boil for 5 minutes.
  • When done boiling, remove from heat and add vanilla extract. If using vanilla bean – add during the boiling phase.
  • Take the peaches and cut them in half. Remove the pits.
  • Place in the poaching liquid. Simmer for 3 minutes
  • Allow them to cool and remove the skin from the peaches.
  • Cool the syrup and reserve for storing the peaches in until serving.

Making the Raspberry Sauce

  • Take the thawed raspberries and place them in a blender, along with the powdered sugar and lemon juice. Blend until smooth.
  • Strain the seeds from the sauce. Refrigerate when done.

To serve

  • Place a large scoop of vanilla ice cream in a bowl. Place one peach half on ice cream. Top with raspberry sauce.

Notes

Both the peaches and the raspberry sauce can be made ahead of time. 
Optional are fresh raspberries and sliced almonds. 
This recipe was adapted from https://hilahcooking.com/peach-melba/
Peach Melba - Peaches part 3
Peach Melba

Other acknowledgements – https://www.pbs.org/food/the-history-kitchen/opera-escoffier-and-peaches-the-story-behind-the-peach-melba/ and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peach_Melba

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