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Peaches Poached with Basil

June 20, 2010 by The Runaway Spoon 11 Comments

Peaches are to me the great herald that summer has well and truly begun. Just when you start to feel the weather change from warm to downright hot and the air from breezy to thick with humidity, peaches make their appearance at markets and roadside stands.  At summer camp, you could always get your hands on a peach, and biting into that juicy, fuzzy flesh, the juice dripping down your chin, sucking every last bit of flavor off the pit was just part of the camp experience.  A friend’s family has a lovely lake house several hours from here, and on my trips there, we always stop on the drives up and back at a roadside orchard stand for boxes of delicious peaches, scenting the car like a summer day for the whole journey.

And these peaches poached with basil may well be the perfect summer dessert.  It makes the brilliant use of summer’s best produce, it is easy but impressive, you can make it ahead, and it’s beautiful and truly unique.  And the fragrance that wafts through the kitchen during poaching is magical.  The beautiful pink globes served with a drizzle of syrup and a sprig of basil makes a lovely plate, but add a small scoop of vanilla ice cream or some sweetened whipped cream if you’d like.  Or my favorite, a dollop of mascarpone blended with a little powdered sugar.

Under no circumstances should you discard the excess poaching liquid.  Keep the pale pink syrup in the fridge in an airtight container.   You can drizzle it over plain ice cream or stir it into yogurt, use it to sweeten iced tea, add an outstanding twist to a gin and tonic, or just pour it over ice and top with sparkling water for a real refresher.  I sometimes think I make these peaches just for the syrup.

Peaches Poached In Basil

1 cup white wine

1 ½ cup water

1 ½ cup sugar

1 bunch fresh basil

6 yellow peaches

Place the wine, water and sugar in a wide bottomed saucepan and stir to dissolve sugar slightly.  Place the pan on the stove over medium heat and bring mixture to a boil.  Boil for 5 minutes and then reduce heat, leaving the syrup to simmer.

Cut the peaches in half and remove pits gently.  Drop half of the basil leaves into the syrup then gently place the peach halves cut side down into the syrup. Poach for about 3 minutes and then gently turn over using a slotted spoon.  Continue poaching for an additional 3 – 4 minutes until soft (cooking time will depend on ripeness of peaches).  Carefully prick the cut side of the peaches to check for tenderness.  The peels should be wrinkling up as well. You may cook the peaches in two batches if all the halves will not fit in the pan at once.

Remove the peaches to a plate with a slotted spoon.  When cool enough to handle, gently slide the skins off and discard. Add all but about six basil leaves to the syrup and bring to a boil, boiling until reduced by about half.  Remove from the heat.  Pour any juices that have collected on the plate with the peaches into the syrup.  Leave to cool to room temperature.

The peaches can be covered with plastic wrap and kept at room temperature for several hours.  When ready to serve, place two peach halves on a plate and drizzle with a little basil syrup. Reserve the remaining syrup for another use.  Garnish with basil leaves.

Serves 6

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Filed Under: Farmers Market, Fruit, Fruit and Vegetables, Southern Specialties, Sweets Tagged With: basil, dessert, peaches

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Chocolate Shavings says

    June 21, 2010 at 8:28 am

    What a beautiful and elegant dish!

  2. flour power says

    June 21, 2010 at 9:24 am

    I love this! And the uses for the syrup, especially putting some in gin and tonic. I’ll bet it would be great in white wine or champagne, like a peach kir.

  3. Carolyn Jung says

    June 22, 2010 at 11:30 am

    How lovely and refreshing. I bought too many peaches at the farmers market this weekend (well, but then can one ever have TOO many??), so poaching them might be next. You have me excited not only about the peaches, but about that dang tasty syrup. 😉

  4. Diane Miller says

    July 23, 2010 at 6:05 am

    I featured this post on my Friday “For Your Consideration” – I still haven’t had the chance to try it but the thought of that peach, sweet, basil infused poaching liquid in a drink is a major motivator.http://spoonandchair.com/2010/07/23/for-your-consideration-peaches-poached-with-basil/

  5. melmaxmcd says

    August 18, 2010 at 5:15 pm

    I just made a half recipe of this and the syrup was amazing! The peaches almost seem like an afterthought. Thanks for sharing.

  6. Taypee says

    August 19, 2010 at 9:05 pm

    This was absolutely delicious. Made them last night. Such an amazing compliment of flavors.

  7. Jennifer says

    April 25, 2011 at 7:17 pm

    I love cooked peaches. But adding basil to them sounds utterly divine. Served with ice cream, as you suggested sounds like the perfect summer dessert.

Trackbacks

  1. For Your Consideration: Peaches Poached with Basil « Spoon And Chair says:
    July 23, 2010 at 6:02 am

    […] this, it sounds amazing and refreshing.  And, truth be told, I really want to get my hands on that poaching liquid for some summer cocktail experiments.  For the recipe visit the other Spoon.  Hmmm, I wonder if I […]

  2. Anise Hyssop and Honey Poached Peaches and Cape Gooseberries | Healthy Green Kitchen says:
    August 18, 2010 at 10:10 am

    […] I’ve had herb poached peaches on my mind since I saw this lovely recipe. […]

  3. 24 Yummy Basil Recipes | Briscoe's Seeds for Thought says:
    February 28, 2014 at 8:54 am

    […] Peaches Poached with Basil […]

  4. Blackberry Sage Skillet Cake - The Runaway SpoonThe Runaway Spoon says:
    July 12, 2015 at 12:12 pm

    […] and herbs are a wonderful combination. I’ve made Peaches Poached in Basil, a Blueberry Basil Compote, even a Strawberry Mint Vinaigrette. Blackberries and sage a re a lovely […]

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I'm P.C. I think I am like most people. Somewhere in the middle between food snob and food schlub. Just being in the kitchen makes me happy. I live, mostly in my kitchen, in my hometown of Memphis, Tennessee.

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