White Poached Nectarines with Sweetened Mint Cream & Toasted Hazelnuts

Ingredients

Preparation time: 25 minutes plus cooling time
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Skills needed: beginner
Serves: 4

8 medium nectarines
200ml cream, whipped to a soft peak
1 tablespoon icing sugar
1/3 cup diced fresh mint leaves
1/3 cup toasted hazelnuts, skins removed and roughly chopped

SYRUP

2 cups caster sugar
3 cups water
1 cup white wine
1 strip lemon zest

Method

Fold icing sugar and mint through cream and refrigerate.

Place syrup ingredients into a saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer.

Lightly score nectarines along natural line and lower into syrup in two batches. Poach for approximately five minutes or until just tender. Remove with a slotted spoon and rest in a shallow dish.

Increase heat and boil until half original volume then cool. Gently remove skin from nectarines then pour over syrup.

Arrange syrup drizzled nectarines and minted cream onto dessert plates and scatter with toasted hazelnuts.


Recipe and photo courtesy of Aussie Summer Stonefruit. For more information and 'dribbilicious' recipes, go to http://www.facebook.com/AustraliaSummerStonefruit