.png)
“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.
