Name: Sagra’s roast peaches with amaretti and Marsala ice-cream
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 70 min
Yield: 6 - 8
Ingredients: 8 peaches, halved; For brushing: olive oil; 100 ml sangiovese, or other light red of your choice; 70 ml amaretto; 10 amaretti biscuits, coarsely crushed with a mortar and pestle; 100 gm butter, diced; 100 gm brown sugar; Seeds scraped from 1 vanilla bean; Finely grated rind of 1 lemon and juice of 1½ small lemons; 3 fresh bay leaves; Marsala ice-cream; 15 egg yolks; 175 gm caster sugar; 160 ml good Marsala; 500 ml (2 cups) pouring cream

“This is an homage to our days with Sean Moran and his insistence on perfection in all things ,” says Choy. “As a first-year apprentice stuck out the back of the restaurant away from the action, you would be left looking through the oven window, waiting impatiently for these peaches to reach readiness. Anything too light or dark wouldn’t make its way to the dining room, and you would inevitably end up staring through the oven door again until you got it right. The ice-cream is incredibly easy to make at home; you don’t need a churner, but it still has a great consistency. The roast peaches retain that summer barbecue vibe as well: a little blackened from char-grilling but still super-sweet after being finished in the oven. If you like your desserts a little boozy, then this one’s for you.”

Ingredients

8 peaches, halved

For brushing: olive oil

100 ml sangiovese, or other light red of your choice

70 ml amaretto

10 amaretti biscuits, coarsely crushed with a mortar and pestle

100 gm butter, diced

100 gm brown sugar

Seeds scraped from 1 vanilla bean

Finely grated rind of 1 lemon and juice of 1½ small lemons

3 fresh bay leaves

Marsala ice-cream

15 egg yolks

175 gm caster sugar

160 ml good Marsala

500 ml (2 cups) pouring cream

Method

Main

1.For Marsala ice-cream, put a 1.5-litre container in the freezer to chill. Whisk yolks and sugar in an electric mixer until sugar dissolves and mixture triples in volume (5 minutes). Transfer to a large heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, ensuring water doesn’t touch the base and it fits snugly, add half the Marsala, then whisk continuously until mixture is thickened and holds a ribbon (20 minutes). Stir in remaining Marsala and whisk until thick and glossy (5 minutes). Remove from heat and set aside, whisking occasionally, to cool slightly. Meanwhile, whisk cream to soft peaks. Fold in egg mixture until just combined, then pour into the chilled container, cover with plastic wrap and freeze until frozen (at least 6 hours or overnight).

2.Preheat oven to 180C and line a baking dish with baking paper. Heat a char-grill pan over high heat. Lightly brush peach halves with oil and grill cut-side down until charred (3-4 minutes; if peaches stick, leave them on the grill for a little longer). Arrange peaches cut-side up in a single layer in the baking dish, pour wine and amaretto over and set aside.

3.Combine amaretti crumbs with 2 tbsp butter, 2 tbsp brown sugar and vanilla seeds in a bowl, then spoon into peach cavities. Scatter with remaining sugar and butter, lemon juice and rind, and bay leaves, then roast until peaches are tender and starting to caramelise (23-25 minutes). Serve hot with Marsala ice-cream and pan juices.