Peaches in Strawberry-Rose Syrup

A special dessert for a special occasion. Luscious white-flesh peaches float in a luminous rose
syrup. Treat the peaches tenderly so as not to bruise the delicate flesh.
Serves 4

white-flesh ripe peaches 6
lemon juice for sprinkling
alpine strawberries or raspberries to decorate

for the strawberry-rose syrup:
strawberries (with a good flavour) 300g, hulled and thinly sliced
sugar 125g
water 300ml
rose water ¼ tsp

1) First make the syrup. Put the sliced strawberries in a saucepan with the sugar and water. Simmer over medium heat for 15-20 minutes until the strawberries are very tender. Strain through a fine sieve set over a bowl, pressing with the back of a wooden spoon to extract all the juice. Pour the juice back into the saucepan, then boil vigorously for 5–8 minutes or until the ruby liquid thickens and the bubbles look syrupy. Pour into a jug and leave to cool before stirring in the rose water.

2) Put the peaches in a large bowl, cover with boiling water, count to 10, then drain and slip off the skin. It should come away easily.

3) Using a very sharp knife, carefully cut the peaches in half lengthways. Scoop out the stones, trying not to damage the flesh. Slice each half into thin segments, sprinkling with a little lemon juice to prevent browning.

4) Gently tip the peach segments into a serving bowl. Pour over enough strawberry-rose syrup to just cover, then chill for 1 hour. Decorate with alpine strawberries or raspberries just before serving.

Recipe © Christine McFadden