Poached Peaches with Raspberry Sauce and Vanilla Ice Cream (Pêches Melba)

Known in French as Pêches Melba, this French bistro classic is a cup-held dessert of syrup-poached peaches served atop vanilla ice cream, all doused with a sweet raspberry coulis. It’s a breeze to recreate at home, and is naturally best made at the height of summer, when peaches are at their sweetest, juiciest peak. Think of Pêches Melba as France’s version of peaches and cream—but with that little extra je ne sais quoi.

The Origin of this Dessert

This Classic French dessert of Pêches Melba was invented in 1892 in London by renowned French Chef Auguste Escoffier. He created this dessert for a dinner in honor of Australian soprano Nellie Melba, who was in town to sing Wagner’s opera Lohengrin at Covent Garden. He used an ice sculpture of a swan (which is featured in the Lohengrin opera). The swan carried peaches which rested on a bed of vanilla ice cream, topped with spun sugar.

Later, in 1900, for the opening of the Carlton Hotel in London where he was head chef, Escoffier added a simplified version of Pêches Melba on his menu. He skipped the ice swan and simply topped the peaches with raspberry purée. The iconic dessert was born. 

Cooking notes: 

• Use fresh seasonal peaches (canned peaches are almost always too sweet, unless they are homemade.). Choose ripe, tender peaches and ideally yellow, instead of white, as they have a better acidity which contrasts nicely against the creaminess of the ice cream. Firm ripe nectarines are also acceptable. 
• Fresh or frozen raspberries can both be used, as they are meant to be reduced in a puree. If you do use frozen raspberries, make sure you thaw and drain them well before hand.
• Homemade or a good quality store-bought vanilla ice cream work well here. 
• Some “mainstream” restaurants will add whipped cream on top, but I think this is de trop (too much). A sprinkle of slivered almonds on top and a few fresh basil leaves are however acceptable in my books (though the original recipe doesn’t call for it.). 

I hope you’ll love this Pêches Melba recipe as much as I do! If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment. 

You may also like:

• Raspberry Pistachio Frangipane Tart 
• Peach & Blueberry Galette
• Classic French Tarte aux Fraises
• Peach Yogurt Cake 
• Apricot Frangipane Tart

Poached Peaches Melba with Raspberry Sauce

Print Recipe

Serves: 4 people Prep Time: 2 hours

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 4.2/5

( 10 voted )

Ingredients

4 ripe peaches
For the Poaching Syrup: 
1 1/2 cups (300g) white sugar
3 cups (750ml) water
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise (or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract)
For the Raspberry Coulis: 
1 cup raspberries (fresh or frozen, well drained)
2 tablespoons (15g) powdered sugar
1 tablespoon (15ml) lemon juice
To Assemble: 
1 large tub vanilla ice cream
Optional: 1/4 cup slivered almonds
Optional: 4 fresh basil leaves, for garnish.

Instructions

Step 1 - Peel the Peaches

Bring a heavy pot of water to a boil and prepare a bowl of ice water. Cut a small “X” into the bottom of each peach with a sharp knife. Immerse the peaches in the boiling water for 30 seconds, then immediately use a slotted spoon to transfer the peaches to the ice bath to stop the cooking.  

Transfer peaches to a cutting board and gently pull off the skins, starting from the “X” you cut. If the skin doesn’t come off easily, use a knife to help. Once peeled, cut the peaches in halves or quarters, discarding the pits. Set aside. 

Step 2 - Poach the Peaches

Combine the sugar and water in a shallow frying pan or large saucepan. Halve the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape the seeds into the pan (or add the vanilla extract). Bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar is dissolved.

Add the peaches, then bring the syrup to a slight simmer and reduce the heat. Cover and let simmer for 5–6 minutes, occasionally basting the peaches with the syrup with a spoon. Turn the peaches over and continue to poach until very tender, so that they can be easily pierced with the tip of a sharp knife, about 5 to 6 minutes more.

Turn off the heat and let the peaches cool in their poaching liquid in the pan, uncovered, for 1 hour.

Step 3 - Make the Raspberry Coulis

While the peaches are cooling, puree the raspberries in a blender. Optional: pass the raspberry purée through a fine mesh strainer to discard the small seeds. Transfer the puree to a bowl.

Immediately stir in the powdered sugar and lemon juice into the raspberry purée and whisk vigorously to make sure no lumps were formed.

Step 4 - To Serve: 

Distribute the peaches evenly into four individual serving bowls. Top with one or two scoops of vanilla ice cream and drizzle with raspberry coulis. 

Optional: Sprinkle each bowl with a few slivered almonds and garnish with a fresh basil leaf.

Did you make this recipe?

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This article was first posted on August 08, 2017 and updated on August 19, 2020.