Grilled Peaches with Honey and Mascarpone

Name: Grilled Peaches with Honey and Mascarpone
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Ingredients: 4 ripe but firm peaches or nectarines, halved and stoned; 1 tbsp neutral oil; 2 tbsp honey, plus extra to drizzle; 4 sprigs thyme, leaves picked; 200 g (⅞ cup) mascarpone, or Greek yogurt or vanilla ice cream; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 30 g (¼ cup) toasted flaked almonds or pistachios; 1 pinch flaky sea salt

Caramelized stone fruit for the end of the barbecue

Serves: 4
Hands-on: 10 min
Total: 20 min
Level: Easy

The easiest dessert there is: ripe peaches, halved and grilled over the dying coals until caramelized and juicy, then served with honey, a little thyme and cold mascarpone. The contrast of hot and cold makes it.

Ingredients

4ripe but firm peaches or nectarineshalved and stoned
1 tbspneutral oil
2 tbsphoneyplus extra to drizzle
4 sprigsthymeleaves picked
200 gmascarpone (⅞ cup)or Greek yogurt or vanilla ice cream
1 tspvanilla extract
30 gtoasted flaked almonds or pistachios (¼ cup)
1 pinchflaky sea salt

Diet: Vegetarian, Gluten-free
Allergens: milk, tree nuts
Origin: Mediterranean (inspired)
Season: Summer

Method

Set up the grill for direct medium heat (about 180–200°C, 350–400°F). Clean and oil the grate well.
Mix the mascarpone with the vanilla and 1 tsp of the honey.
Brush the cut sides of the peaches with oil. Grill cut-side down, without moving, until deeply marked and caramelized, 4–5 minutes. 5 min
Turn over, drizzle the cut sides with the remaining honey and scatter with thyme. Close the lid and grill until the fruit is warm and just yielding, 3–4 minutes. 4 min
Serve warm with a spoonful of the cold mascarpone, the nuts, a little more honey and a pinch of flaky salt.

Why it works

Heat breaks down the peaches' cell walls, so their juices run and their sugars caramelize on the grate. Firm fruit holds its shape; fully soft fruit falls apart. A pinch of flaky salt sharpens the sweetness.

Common mistakes

Moving the fruit too soon: it sticks and tears. Wait for the grill marks to set.
Overripe peaches: they collapse into mush.

Variations

Other fruit: Apricots, plums, pineapple slices or figs all grill well; shorten the time for smaller fruit.

Notes

Grill-pan/oven fallback: cook cut-side down in a hot ridged grill pan over medium-high heat for 4–5 minutes, then turn, add honey and finish in a 200°C (400°F) oven for 5 minutes. Without nuts the dessert is nut-free.