GRILLED PEACHES WITH ORANGE FLOWER WATER – LES PECHES A LA FLEUR D’ORANGER GRILLEE
A lot of orange flower water makes its way into French cuisine, thanks to the Maghreb and its residents, many of who make France their home. I love the flavor so much I planted an orange tree in my garden just to have the aroma for a few weeks a year; I also love its exotic perfume in both sweet and savory dishes. Here it enhances peaches in the simplest way possible. ASTUCE: choose peaches that are fragrant and slightly firm. Softer peaches will work, but they tend to melt on the grill. I like to use a perforated grill pan, and grill these on a gas grill. Note that white peaches are generally sweeter than their yellow counterparts and while the recipe calls for freestone peaches, you can make it with clingstone peaches too – it’s just a little more challenging to cut off the peach from the stone. I’ve suggested garnishing this dessert with red currants, though it really doesn’t need beautifying if your peaches are blushing red. Finally, the sugar is optional, optional, optional. If the peaches are lovely and sweet, skip it!
GRILLED PEACHES WITH ORANGE FLOWER WATER – LES PECHES A LA FLEUR D’ORANGER GRILLEE
A lot of orange flower water makes its way into French cuisine, thanks to the Maghreb and its residents, many of who make France their home. I love the flavor so much I planted an orange tree in my garden just to have the aroma for a few weeks a year; I also love its exotic perfume in both sweet and savory dishes. Here it enhances peaches in the simplest way possible. ASTUCE: choose peaches that are fragrant and slightly firm. Softer peaches will work, but they tend to melt on the grill. I like to use a perforated grill pan, and grill these on a gas grill. Note that white peaches are generally sweeter than their yellow counterparts and while the recipe calls for freestone peaches, you can make it with clingstone peaches too – it’s just a little more challenging to cut off the peach from the stone. I’ve suggested garnishing this dessert with red currants, though it really doesn’t need beautifying if your peaches are blushing red. Finally, the sugar is optional, optional, optional. If the peaches are lovely and sweet, skip it!
Servings
4 servings
Servings
4 servings
Ingredients
  • 6medium-sized; 5 ounces;150g freestone peacheseither white or red, stone removed, cut in half,
  • 1teaspoon mild vegetable oil
  • 1tablespoon vanilla sugar – if desired
  • 1tablespoon orange flower water
  • A small handful of red currants – optional garnish
  • About 1 tablespoon of smallfresh mint leaves – optional garnish
Instructions
  1. Brush the peaches all over with the oil.
  2. Light the gas grill on all burners. Place the perforated grill pan on the grill.
  3. When the grill pan is hot, place the peaches on it, skin-side down. Brown them for 3 minutes, turn and brown them for 2 minutes, then return them to the skin side, cover the grill and cook until the peaches are tender but still hold their shape, about 5 more minutes.
  4. Transfer the peaches to a serving platter. Immediately sprinkle them with the sugar, if desired.
  5. Just before serving, drizzle the peaches with the orange flower water and swirl them on the platter so it is well mixed among them. Garnish with the red currants and mint leaves, and serve immediately.