“Peach Marsala” is easy and delicious

 

“Peach Marsala” is easy and delicious

 

The idea started with a chef friend’s experiment years ago in Atlanta. He toyed with a sweet, creamy bourbon-enhanced sauce for a peach cake. In the end he abandoned the effort, but not before I had tasted his sauce and saw possibilities. 


I stole the idea, frankly, but changed the flavor from Jack Daniels to aromatic Marsala wine. And I envisioned the sauce over broiled peaches. That was as the peach season was winding down that year.  The idea dwindled. But the following year, having received some luscious peaches from a traveler from South Carolina (I know, I know… but they grow them well up there, too), I revived the thought of a rich, Marsala-laced sauce on peaches. And in particular, peaches over good vanilla ice cream.

 

Marsala, a fragrant, fortified wine made for centuries in Sicily, draws its name from its town of origin. Produced from local grapes, the wine ages for years in a system of connected barrels from which a portion of older wine is drawn off from the bottom to sell and new wine is added to the top to replace it. Thus wines of different vintages mingle as their flavor and fragrance intensify. The barreling system is similar to the “solera” used for producing sherry and port wines.

 

California Marsala made by Cribari, a company best known for sacramental and altar wines, is inexpensive and quite decent for cooking. But Marsala varieties from Italy are not expensive, either. I prefer the non-sweet version (“secco” for Italian­­-made Marsala) since I also use it cooking chicken.

 

In this dessert fresh sliced peaches are placed over ice cream and the sauce is poured lightly over them.

 

The recipe makes sauce enough for six servings over peaches and ice cream .

 

1/3 cup Marsala wine

1/4 cup brown sugar

Large pinch of salt

2/3 cup sour cream

3-6 peaches, depending on size, peeled and sliced

Vanilla ice cream

 

In enamel or stainless steel pot, bring wine, sugar and salt to a rapid boil, stirring. Simmer for two minutes. Whisk in the sour cream until smooth, then remove from the heat. Let cool.

 

Serve from a small pitcher or serving bowl. Spoon sliced peaches over ice cream and drizzle with the sauce.

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