Poached peaches & espresso zabaglione (Italian custard)

SERVES 8 PREP & COOK TIME 1 HOUR

8 medium ripe peaches

750ml sweet white wine

⅓ cup (115g) honey

1 vanilla pod, split in half ESPRESSO ZABAGLIONE

6 egg yolks, preferably organic 150g caster sugar

100ml marsala

75ml fresh espresso

1 Fill your kettle and put on to boil. Meanwhile, fill a large bowl with plenty of iced water. Place the peaches in a heatproof bowl and cover with boiling water and allow to stand for 30 seconds. Using a slotted spoon, plunge into the cold water. Peel the peaches and set aside.

2 Heat the wine, honey and vanilla in a medium saucepan, gently add the peaches and bring to a very low simmer. Poach for 15 minutes, turning a few times until tender. Remove the peaches to a bowl. Bring syrup to the boil, cook for 10 minutes or until thickened slightly. Spoon over the peaches and allow to cool completely and then refrigerate, covered until ready to serve.

3 ESPRESSO ZABAGLIONE Find a heatproof bowl that will sit over, but not touch, a saucepan of simmering water, and put that water on to boil. This will be the bain marie for cooking the zabaglione.

4 While the water is coming to a boil, remove the bowl and whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until thick and smooth. Place the bowl over the simmering water and carry on whisking for around 10 minutes, gradually adding in the marsala. The time it takes for the zabaglione to cook is dependent on how vigorously you whisk. The finished zabaglione being light and luscious, leaves a “ribbon” trail on top of the mixture when the whisk is lifted. Remove the bowl from the heat and place onto a cool surface. Add espresso and whisk for a further 2 minutes.

5 To serve, place one peach per person into a stemmed glass or bowl. Spoon over a generous amount of zabaglione (give it one final whisk before doing so) and serve with amaretti (see recipe, above).

Not suitable to freeze.