The Shaggy Cow's Peach Verrine with Creme Patissiere, Peach Compote, Nectarine Granita and Vanilla Meringue

Ingredients

Peach Compote:

4 ripe peaches, skinned and diced
40 g caster sugar

Nectarine Granita:

6 nectarines, chopped
120 g caster sugar
120 ml water
20 g glucose
Juice of 1/2 a lemon

Crème Patissiere:

4 egg yolks
600 ml milk
120 g caster sugar
40 g corn starch
40 g unsalted butter, diced
1/2 a vanilla bean, scraped

Vanilla Meringue:

2 egg whites
100 g caster sugar
1/4 a vanilla bean, scraped

Poached Peaches:

2 ripe peaches, thickly sliced
200 g caster sugar
200 ml water
200 ml sauternes dessert wine

Method

Peach Compote:

Place a saucepan over a medium heat and add the peaches and sugar together with a splash of water. Cook until the peaches soften and the juices form a thick syrup. Set aside to cool.

Nectarine Granita:

Combine the sugar, water, glucose and lemon in a pan over a low heat, stirring until dissolved. Set aside to cool. Place the nectarines and sugar syrup into a food processor and blend until smooth. Pass through a sieve into a shallow pan and freeze, breaking up the mixture with a fork every hour to prevent large ice crystals from forming.

Crème Patissiere:

Place the milk and vanilla into a pot and bring to the boil. Meanwhile, place the egg yolks, sugar and corn starch into a bowl and stir to combine. Pour the hot milk over the egg mixture and beat well. Carefully pour the egg mixture back into the pot and return to the boil, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and strain through a fine sieve. Whisk in the butter and cover to prevent a skin from forming as the custard cools. Set aside in the fridge.

Vanilla Meringue:

Preheat an oven to 130°C. Whisk the egg whites into stiff peaks, gradually adding the sugar until the meringue is thick and glossy. Fold in the vanilla seeds. Place the mixture into a piping bag and pipe mini meringues onto a lined baking tray. Bake in the oven for 1 hour, or until the meringues are crisp. Allow to cool, then set aside in an airtight container.

Poached Peaches:

Place the water, sauternes and sugar into a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Add the peach slices and simmer for a further 15 minutes, or until the peaches have softened but still hold their shape. Remove from the heat and leave to cool in the cooking liquor. Strain the peaches, reserving the liquid, and set aside. Pour the cooking liquor into a clean pan and slowly reduce to a sticky syrup.

To Serve:

Divide the compote into four glasses then layer over the crème patissiere. Divide the poached peaches between the glasses and cover with sauternes syrup. Using a fork, shave the nectarine granita, place on top of the peaches and finish with the meringues.

Credits: The Shaggy Cow as published in The Southern Highlands Cookbook

Photo Credits: The Shaggy Cow