Phil Vickery's easy peachy recipes!
Things are looking peachy in our kitchen today - literally! Phil’s back to celebrate more of our great British produce, as he shares three ways to use delicious fresh peaches for both sweet and savoury dishes.
Sweet pickled peaches
Serves 8
Ingredients
8 ripe peaches
275mls cider vinegar
120g dark brown Muscovado sugar
120g light brown Muscovado sugar
½ tsp salt
10 cloves
1 cinnamon stick
Juice of 2 large lemons
Method
1. Slice the peaches in half, horizontally then cut each half into 2cm pieces, roughly.
2. Place the vinegar, sugar, salt, cloves, cinnamon stick, into a stainless steel saucepan and dissolve over a medium heat.
3. When dissolved remove from the heat and add the fruit and lemon juice then cover with a piece of greaseproof paper and a saucer.
4. Leave to cool then chill really well.
Fresh peach salsa
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
4 ripe peaches
1 small red pepper, cut into very small pieces
3 spring onions, very finely chopped on a long angle
Finely grated zest and juice 3 large limes
6 tbsp roughly chopped coriander
1 tbsp very finely chopped fresh ginger
2 tbsp runny honey
Dash Sherry vinegar
Salt
Black pepper
Method
1. Run a knife around the peach horizontally.
2. Chop the peach halves into small pieces.
3. Next add the rest of the ingredients and season well with salt and pepper, mix well again and leave for 20 minutes before serving.
Succulent pork chops
Serves 4
Ingredients
2 level tbsp table salt
2 level tbsp caster sugar
1 tsp ground black pepper
4 large pork chops 3-4 cm thick, rind on and cut every 1cm along the edge.
Oil for frying
Method
1. Mix the salt, sugar and pepper together really well then sprinkle evenly over the pork chops, rub in gently, turn over and repeat the process, then leave for 10 minutes.
2. After 10 minutes, turn over and leave for a further 10 minutes.
3. Wash off the sugar and salt from the chops, then pat really dry with a kitchen towel.
4. Heat a frying pan, add a dash of oil then gently cook the chops for 7-8 minutes on each side, then remove from the pan from the stove, cover loosely with foil and leave for 10 minutes, making sure the chops are just cooked, not overcooked.
5. Serve with the peach salsa or pickled peaches.
Peach and custard pastries
Serves 8
Ingredients
Poached peaches
4 ripe peaches, they must be ripe or the skins will not come away
300g caster sugar
700mls water
Peach and custard pastries
4 poached peaches, peeled and halved
500g butter puff pastry, rolled out to 2-3mm thickness and rested chilled really well
8 tbsp thick cold custard, made from powder and sweetened
8 tbsp peach or apricot jam
1 egg beaten
Cornflour
Water
Clotted Cream to serve
Method
1. For the poached peaches: choose a pan that 4 peaches will fit into nicely but not too tight.
2. Place the sugar and water into a pan and bring to a simmer and dissolved.
3. Add the peaches and bring the peaches back to a simmer, leave for 30 seconds to a minute, then remove from the heat.
4. Cover with a piece of greaseproof paper and saucer, making sure the peaches are submerged.
5. Leave to cool completely.
6. Once cooled, chill until needed.
7. When ready to use, remove the preaches and the skins should come away easily.
8. Use as required, or keep in syrup until needed.
9. For the Peach & custard Pastries: preheat the oven to 200C gas 6.
10. With a large plain cutter cut discs of pastry 2cm larger than a peach half.
11. Dock well with a fork, but leave 3cm from the edge.
12. Brush the 3cm outer ring with beaten egg trying not to get any egg spilling over the edge as this stops the pastry rising.
13. Place a small tablespoon of custard in the centre of all the 8 discs, then top with a teaspoon of peach or apricot jam.
14. Press a poached peach half on top of the custard and jam.
15. Bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes until well browned and the pastry is cooked through.
16. Once cooked, remove from the oven and cool.
17. Meanwhile, take a little off the poaching syrup and thicken with a little cornflour and water mix.
18. Brush over the pastries and leave to cool.
19. Serve with clotted cream.