Pain in the Peaches
By Anonymous in Food on Jul 16, 2005 1:57AM
Oh my God, Chicagoist HATES cutting peaches after peeling them. Seriously, what looked like an easy recipe turned into a grotesque autopsy of a fruit cutting Fear Factor episode, and thank God we saved some of the wine to drink, not just marinate these mean-spirited peaches. Luckily, the result is unbelievably delicious, if not a little messy looking.
During vacation, Chicagoist saw a great recipe on the Food Network that seemed like the perfect summer dessert, Peaches in Sauternes. Sauternes is one of our favorite wines, a true dessert wine that is sweet and fruity, making it a perfecting pairing for peaches. Say that real fast 10 times. Peel the peaches and marinate, what could be easier? Catching an oiled pig, that’s what. The issue wasn’t peeling the peaches, which went extremely fast. Chicagoist’s problems began when the peaches were peeled and had to be sliced elegantly. Those slippery little suckers went all over the cutting board, our hands, the knife, the top of the dogs’ heads, the floor, so we managed to have more chunkified pieces than elegant slivers. Ina Garten, how do you do it? And seriously, have you read a health magazine lately?
We marinated in a mixture of Sauternes, sugar, and orange extract for 2 hours, and what a wonderful dessert this turned out to be. Not the prettiest dish, but maybe cover the top with some real vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. Below is the recipe, with notes.
6 ripe peaches
3 T. Sugar
1 (375ml) bottle of good Sauternes (Chicagoist only used ½ bottle...seemed like the peaches would be swimming in it, and also, we really, really wanted a glass of it. Really.)
1 T. orange-flavored liquor (Grand Marnier was recommended)...seems like OJ would work here, we used orange extract, about a teaspoon or to taste.
Boil water and immerse the peaches for about 2 minutes. Then place them into ice-cold water (we keep ice cubes in the water) and the skins just fly off. Of course, then the peach “gray matter” makes it difficult to keep a good handle on these things, but cut into slices/chunks. Combine with sugar, orange flavoring (whichever you choose), wine, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Served chilled, the peaches in Sauternes were a refreshing end to dinner, despite the fight they put up.
Also, don’t forget the Wine Discount Store Grillfest 2005 on Saturday, July 16, located in Forest Park. Chicagoist will be there with their friends enjoying the food, wine, and festivities. Check their website for more info and the address, www.winediscountcenter.com.