Burnt peaches with Comté, prosciutto and hazelnuts
Serves 4
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A beautiful dish combining the tangy sweetness of peaches with the nutty flavour of the Comté and toasted hazelnuts, the beautiful umami tang and fatty creaminess of the prosciutto, the acidity of the lemon and the freshness of the mint. This is a simple dish that really relies on the quality of the ingredients used: the peaches need to be sweet and ripe, the Prosciutto should be the best quality you can buy, the mint must be fresh and - it goes without saying - the Comté will be excellent.
Ingredients
Serves 4
- 50g hazelnuts, skinned / blanched
- 4 ripe peaches*, cut in half and pits removed
- 2 tablespoons light olive oil
- 100g younger aged Comté, cut into fine slivers (a vegetable peeler works well)
- 8 slices Prosciutto
- 1 lemon (zest and juice)
- 1 tablespoon good quality hazelnut oil or extra virgin olive oil
- Optional: about 1 teaspoon aged balsamic vinegar (or a similar vinegar - you want tart and sweet flavours and a syrupy consistency)
- Leaves from 10g fresh mint
- * You want ripe, but firm fruit - softer fruit releases more juices and risks sticking to the pan.
- Preheat your oven to 180℃ fan and spread your hazelnuts out on a baking tray. Cook these in the oven for about 10 minutes, giving the tray a shake half way through, until they have turned a light golden brown and smell toasty. Remove from the oven and leave to cool a bit, then chop roughly.
- Heat a griddle pan until it is very hot. Brush the peaches lightly with the oil, then place, cut-side down, onto the pan and do not move them for 2 to 3 minutes, until they are ready to release from the pan - do this using a flexible spatula and gently prod the peaches. If they move, carefully turn them over to cook the other side. Once both sides of the peaches are nicely charred, move them onto individual serving plates or onto a big platter and sprinkle over a little salt and a few grinds of black pepper.
- To serve, arrange the slices of Prosciutto around and over the peaches, then the slivers of Comté, drizzle over the hazelnut oil or extra virgin olive oil, squeeze over a little lemon juice, drizzle over a little vinegar (if using) and finally sprinkle over the grated lemon zest, chopped hazelnuts and mint leaves.
