Diana Henry's recipe for peaches Sicilian-style with peach and wine granita
This is especially beautiful when it is made with white peaches.
Photographs: Emma Lee | Food Preparation: Rosie Reynolds | Prop Styling: Tabitha Hawkins
Yield
Serves 6
Ingredients
Ingredients
Method
Step 1
Put the wine, sugar and lemon zest into a saucepan with a large base, in which the peaches will be able to lie - more or less - in a single layer. Gently heat until the sugar has dissolved. Add the peaches, then pour on 375ml water. Bring the liquid to a simmer and cook until the peaches are tender. This may take as little as 3-4 minutes if they are ripe, 15 minutes if they are firm. Keep checking with the tip of a knife and remove each peach half with a slotted spoon as soon as it is tender. Transfer to a baking sheet (or several plates) where they can lie without touching each other (otherwise they will continue to cook and become too soft). Once all the peach halves are ready, remove the liquid from the heat.
Step 2
When the peaches are cool enough to handle, remove all the skin and return it to the poaching liquor. Add the vanilla and the lemon juice a little at a time, tasting, until it brings out the flavour of the peaches but before it becomes too lemony. Reheat and allow the syrup to simmer with the skins for 20 minutes (this extracts more colour and flavour).
Step 3
Strain the liquid and let it cool. You should have 600ml. If you do not, add more water to bring it up to this. Pour into a metal container - a wide one is best, but it has to fit into your freezer. Put this in the freezer and leave for about 90 minutes. Once ice crystals start to form, fork through the mixture every hour or so. You should end up with pale-pink shards. Do not worry if it sets solid - you just need to thaw it a little and then give it another good forking. Divide the peaches between 6 plates and add a generous spoonful of the granita.
