Ingredients
• 8 ripe white peaches
• 600g caster sugar
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 2 tsp of dry edible rose buds or 3 tbsps of fresh untreated rose petals from highly scented flowers
• 4 tsp or more to taste of edible rosewater available from healthfood shops or chemists
• 5 leaves gelatine, softened in cold water
• Rose petals for decoration
• 400g wild strawberries
• Icing sugar
Method:
1 Blanch the peaches in boiling water for 15 seconds. Plunge them into iced water, drain and peel. Mix the sugar and lemon juice in a large pan with 600ml of water and bring to the boil.
2 Add the peeled peaches, cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes until tender, turning the peaches around occasionally. Add the rose flavouring and leave to cool.
3 Take 100ml of the syrup and bring back to the boil. Add the gelatine that has been softened in cold water and squeezed dry. Whisk until the gelatine has completely melted, then add further 400ml of the syrup. Cool again.
4 Cut the peaches into 8 slices each and arrange in bowls, plates or glasses. Cover with the cold, but not yet syrup, and decorate with rose petals, wild strawberries and a dusting of icing sugar.
Recipe courtesy of Michel Roux Jr’s Matching Food and Wine published by Weidenfeld & Nicolson. Photography © Cristian Barnett.