1.
Heat the oven to 350°F/175°C/Gas 4. Halve the peaches, cutting
through the indentation, twist them apart, and discard the pits.
Butter a baking dish just large enough to hold the peach halves.
Pack them closely, cut side up in the buttered dish. They will
shrink during baking, so it is better to pack them snugly than
to leave too much space.
2. For
the stuffing: Put the amaretti in a plastic bag and pound with a
rolling pin to coarsely crush them. Mix them with the ground
almonds. In a separate bowl, whip the egg white until stiff, add
the sugar and continue whisking until the white is glossy, about
l minute. Stir this meringue into the amaretti mixture. Pile a
spoonful of mixture on each of the peaches.
3. For
the Marsala syrup: Heat the Marsala, sugar and water in a small
pan until the sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil and simmer 1
minute. Spoon the syrup over the peaches. Bake them in the oven,
basting occasionally, until tender and the stuffing is browned,
20 to 25 minutes. Serve them hot or at room temperature, with
their syrup spooned on top.
What Wine
To Cook and To Drink: Two choices suggest
themselves, prompted by the recipe's ingredients. For the syrup,
Marsala is the most obvious but you could also go for a port or
sweet muscat wine. At table, underscore the almond flavors in
the peach stuffing by serving the popular almond-based Italian
liqueur, Amaretto.
This Recipe of the Month
selection comes from Anne Willan's newest release: Anne
Willan Cooking With Wine (2001) published by Harry N.
Abrams, Inc. in association with COPIA: American Center for
Wine, Food, and the Arts.
