Peach Melba
With tender poached peaches, bright raspberry sauce, and vanilla ice cream, this is an impressive, yet low-effort dessert.
Serves6
Prep15 minutes
Cook20 minutes
Think of peach Melba as an upgraded version of peaches and cream. This beloved British dessert has a storied history that dates back to the 1890s. The renowned French chef Auguste Escoffier first developed a version of the dish in honor of the Australian soprano singer Nellie Melba who was performing at Covent Garden. After her performance, she attended a dinner party at the Savoy Hotel where Escoffier presented her with a dish of vanilla ice cream and fresh peaches in a silver bowl set in an ice sculpture of a swan. It was called pêche au cygne (peach in swan) as a reference to the opera Lohengrin, which Melba had just performed in.
A few years later, Escoffier riffed on that dessert when he opened the Ritz Carlton in London. There he added a spoonful of sweetened raspberry purée and updated the name to pêche Melba, or peach Melba. Today the dessert echoes all the familiar trappings of the original, with a glossy poached peach and bright raspberry syrup. While peach Melba looks elegant, this happens to be an easy, low-lift dessert that plays up summer’s favorite produce, fitting for both an opera singer and friends and family alike.
Why You’ll Love It
- It’s an impressive yet low-lift dessert. While ice cream is always welcome, topping it with poached peaches and vibrant raspberry sauce transforms it into a new treat entirely. Despite its gorgeous appearance, it’s surprisingly easy to assemble.
- It can be made ahead. Both peaches and raspberry sauce can be made a few days before you’re planning to serve peach Melba, making it an easy-to-assemble dessert.
Key Ingredients in Peach Melba
- Peaches. You can’t make peach Melba without peaches. Make use of peak-season peaches to capture all that natural sweetness and juicy flavor.
- Vanilla bean. A fresh vanilla bean adds a distinct vanilla flavor to the poaching liquid, which is imparted onto the peaches.
- Raspberries. Frozen raspberries are used to make the signature raspberry sauce that drapes the peaches and ice cream.
- Lemon. Lemon juice and zest add a bit of tang to both peaches and raspberries to balance the sweetness.
- Vanilla ice cream. Homemade or store-bought vanilla ice cream makes up the base of this dessert, which plays perfectly with the peaches and raspberries.
How to Make Peach Melba
- Score the peaches. Making a crosshatch on the bottom of each peach ensures that it can be easily peeled after poaching.
- Poach the peaches. Water, sugar, lemon zest and juice, and a whole vanilla bean are simmered to create a poaching liquid for the peaches. After getting peeled, the peaches are returned back to the poaching liquid to absorb even more flavor.
- Make the raspberry sauce. Frozen raspberries, water, sugar, and lemon juice are simmered in a pot before getting strained through a fine-mesh sieve.
- Assemble. Serve scoops of vanilla ice cream with poached peaches and raspberry sauce.
Helpful Swaps
The same amount of fresh raspberries can be used in place of the frozen.
Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
Peaches can be poached and raspberry sauce can be made up to three days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
What to Serve with Peach Melba
- Cookies. Peach Melba is a complete dessert on its own, but we’d never say no to the addition of a shortbread cookie tucked into the ice cream.
- Nuts. If you’re looking for a bit more texture, consider sprinkling the dish with toasted chopped nuts, like pistachios, almonds, or walnuts.
Peach Melba Recipe
With tender poached peaches, bright raspberry sauce, and vanilla ice cream, this is an impressive, yet low-effort dessert.
Prep time 15 minutes
Cook time 20 minutes
Serves 6
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
For the poached peaches:
- 1
vanilla bean
- 1
medium lemon
- 6 cups
water
- 1 1/2 cups
granulated sugar
- 6
medium ripe peaches (about 2 pounds total), preferably freestone
For the raspberry sauce and serving:
- 2 teaspoons
lemon juice (from the lemon in the poached peaches)
- 12 ounces
frozen raspberries (about 3 cups)
- 1/2 cup
water
- 1/3 cup
granulated sugar
- 1 quart
vanilla ice cream
Instructions
Make the poached peaches:
Split 1 vanilla bean down its length with a paring knife. Working with one half at a time, hold down the tip of the bean against the cutting board. Use the dull side of your paring knife — not the sharp side — and scrape the vanilla beans from the pod. Move from the tip of the pod, where you are holding it, and scrape down the entire length. Place the seeds and vanilla pod in a large pot.
Finely grate the zest of 1 medium lemon in the pot. Juice the lemon; add 2 tablespoons to the pot and reserve 2 teaspoons for the raspberry sauce. Add 6 cups water and 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar to the pot. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves. Meanwhile, score an X on the bottom of 6 peaches with a paring knife.
Lower the peaches into the boiling syrup and reduce the heat to maintain a simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, fill a large bowl halfway with ice and cold water.
Turn off the heat. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the peaches to the ice water bath and let sit until cool to the touch, about 5 minutes. Remove the peaches from the water, peel, and discard the skin. Return the peaches to the poaching liquid and weight them down with a plate or bowl. Let sit for at least 2 hours, or let cool in the poaching liquid and refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Meanwhile, make the raspberry sauce.
Make the raspberry sauce:
Place the reserved 2 teaspoons lemon juice, 12 ounces frozen raspberries, 1/2 cup water, and 1/3 cup granulated sugar in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is dissolved and the raspberries have broken down, about 10 minutes total.
Pour the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer set over a bowl. Press down on the solids in the strainer with a spatula to release any extra syrup from the raspberry pulp, and scrape on the underside of the strainer. Discard the contents of the strainer. Let the sauce cool before serving.
When ready to serve, remove the peaches from the syrup. Pit and quarter the peaches. For each serving, top 4 peach pieces with vanilla ice cream and drizzle with about 2 tablespoons of the raspberry sauce.
Recipe Notes
Fresh raspberries: The same amount of fresh raspberries can be used in place of the frozen.
Make ahead: The peaches can be poached and the raspberry sauce can be made up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated in separate airtight containers until ready to serve.
Storage: Leftover peaches can be refrigerated in the syrup in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Leftover raspberry sauce can be refrigerated in a separate airtight container for up to 3 days.