white peach
and
nectarine
ice cream

GO STRAIGHT TO THE RECIPE

Don’t bother making this divine ice cream unless you have access to ripe, preferably organic fruit. Meaning fruit from the tree in your backyard, your friend’s, your neighbours or a favourite grower like for instance The Food Forest in South Australia who go to the Adelaide Showgrounds Farmers’ Market on a regular basis.

On the very rare occasion that we are able to access a lot of quality fruit we juice and freeze it in 600g quantities for the ice cream recipe. It does have a slightly pink blush from the skin and the yield is not quite as good as skinning and peeling, but it’s a pretty good alternative. Equally it’s terrific for Bellinis.

TIP….unripe fruit cannot be peeled with blanching, you can try a soft fruit peeler.

heavenly

600g peeled and pitted weight very ripe white peaches or nectarines [1]
4 fruit stones, cracked
6 peach, nectarine or black currant leaves – optional
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
250g caster sugar – divided into 150g and 100g lots
300g full cream milk
300g pouring cream
7 extra large egg yolks (61g eggs minimum)

[1] Ripe fruit can be blanched like tomatoes. Set up an ice bath, drop the fruit into boiling water for a couple of seconds and then drop them into the ice bath. Slip of the skins and dry on paper towel.

UPDATED 20 APRIL 2023
SLIGHTLY LESS SUGAR AND AN ADDITIONAL EGG YOLK DRAWS OUT AN EVEN BETTER FLAVOUR PROFILE

CHEAT A LITTLE

I’m a great fan when entertaining at home that the dessert should not require too much to bring it to the table. however, this dessert would equally well be in single portions with just a two second serving time and litle skill required.

Set the ice cream in your favourite form…un-mould it on to your favourite serving plate in the early afternoon and get it back in to the freezer.  I usually pick the flowers in the morning cool and keep them in the fridge, in a container on damp paper towel. Late afternoon decorate with the meringues, your own or a favourite baker and return it to the freezer. we’re generous with passionfruit so about 8, pulped and ready to pour over when you serve. native violets or rose petals are the finish

PICTURED TOP RIGHT

Photography Derek Gibbs
PEACH CARDINAL AND ABSOLUTE CLASSIC FROM THE FRENCH KITCHEN. USUALLY MADE WITH YELLOW FREE-STONE PEACHES. FIND THE RECIPE IN YOUR LAROUSSE GASTRONOMIC.

This is an old picture but shows the alternative juice extraction method. 

Purée the fruit with the 100g of sugar, stir over, cover and refrigerate. Split and scrape the vanilla pod and put it into a microwave safe bowl. Add the cream and milk, stones and leaves and push them under the cream. Microwave on high for 6 minutes. As soon as you start the microwave, put the egg yolks and remaining 200g caster sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer and whisk on high until they are pale and voluminous. Immediately the microwave is finished, whisk in the milk/cream. Return the mixture to the microwave safe bowl and microwave for a further 3 minutes and 30 seconds on medium.

Note the microwave times are worked out for milk and cream coming straight from the fridge and for a 750W microwave setting.

Set up a bowl over another bowl of ice and strain the custard into it. Chill the base completely, before stirring through the pureed fruit. Churn the ice cream and stored on a shelf in an airtight container.

Note a point of interest some old French recipes for peach ice cream talked about adding a handful of black currant or peach leaves to the cream so we tried and liked it. The idea of the cracked stones comes straight from a Great Grandmother, who knew no restraint when it came to making desserts.