Grilled Peaches with Peppercorn Ice Cream & Amaretti Cookies

by Meave McAuliffe (Rory’s Place)

This recipe is an elevated take on a summertime classic. Taking perfectly ripe stone fruit, grilling or roasting them and serving with ice cream. We are using black pepper in the ice cream, to season the fruit before grilling, and to make a peppery herbaceous oil to drizzle over the top. If you don’t have an ice cream maker at home, quality vanilla bean ice cream with fresh ground pepper is a great sub.

Peppercorn Ice Cream

Ingredients:

Black peppercorn
2 cups of milk
1 cup of cream
1/2 vanilla bean
pinch of salt
2 whole eggs
2 yolks
1 cup sugar
1 cup Creme Fraiche
2 tbs honey

Directions:
Toast the black peppercorn on the stove top for about 45 seconds, moving the pepper around in the pan.  Crush the pepper to a rough grind, in a mortar and pestle or large setting on pepper grinder. In a saucepan combine milk, cream, vanilla bean seeds and pinch of salt. Bring to just before boil, turning off when the cream starts to climb the sides of the pan. Remove from heat and strain the hot cream mixture through a fine mesh sieve. In a medium bowl combine eggs, yolks and sugar and whisk together. Slowly pour the hot cream mixture into the egg/sugar stirring slowly and constantly with a whisk.  Add the creme fraiche and honey and mix until dissolved. Pour into a fridge safe container and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight before spinning.

To spin: Make sure your ice cream base is cold. Follow instructions of your ice cream machine. Finished product should be marshmellowy and soft.

Rose geranium & black pepper oil

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon black pepper
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
½ cup packed rose geranium leaves

Notes:
If you don’t have rose geranium handy you can substitute lemon verbena or lemon balm for a citrusy burst in the oil. Maybe even a little fresh rosemary…?

Directions:
Heat the olive oil in a pan with the black pepper. While hot, pour into a blender with the rose geranium leaves. Blend until the leaves are completely broken down and the oil has picked up a bright green hue. Strain over a fine mesh sieve into a small bowl.

To assemble dessert:

For two:
Crush a few amaretti cookies and set aside for the topping. Grill two perfectly ripe peaches, nectarines or apricots. First cut them in half and toss with olive oil, salt and black pepper. Sear face down so the sugars caramelize and you get dark brown grill marks on the fruit.

Place them in two serving bowls and, while still piping hot, scope the peppercorn ice cream over the top. Drizzle generously with the peppery rose geranium oil and finish with a crumble of amaretti cookies for a delicious, almondy crunch.

Enjoy!

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