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Peaches are one of summertime's most amazing edible gifts. When picked at just the right time and brought to perfect ripeness, they are divine. Like many summer harvests, there are almost always too many to enjoy at once. Chef -Owner Jody Adams of Rialto Restaurant in Boston, MA shows us a surprising way to use those extra peaches in a quick pickle. She pairs her pickled peaches with grilled quail stuffed with herbed mascarpone cheese.
For this pickle, Jody Adams peels the peaches. Here's a tip we learned from her on the show: if your peaches are ripe, blanch them in boiling water as her recipe describes. If your peaches are firm, simply peel them with a vegetable peeler.
Grilled Stuffed Quail
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil + additional oil for brushing on tomatoes and quail
1 tablespoon minced shallot
4 ounces mascarpone cheese
1 tablespoon chopped basil
1 teaspoon pickled green peppercorns, chopped
kosher and freshly ground black pepper
8 boned and sleeved organic quail
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1 teaspoon minced garlic.
1 large beefsteak tomato, cut into 4 slices
3 cups spicy cress or arugula
½ cup basil leaves, torn into small pieces
5 or 6 grape tomatoes, cut in half
1. Combine 1 tablespoon oil and the shallot in a small sauté pan over medium low heat. Cook 4 minutes or until the shallot is tender. Cool.
2. Combine the shallot with the mascarpone in a small bowl. Stir in the chopped basil and green peppercorns. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Put 8 equal sized spoonfuls of the mixture on a piece of parchment paper on a plate. Freeze until firm.
4. Combine the honey, sherry vinegar, ginger and garlic in a small bowl with 2 tablespoons olive oil.
5. Prepare a grill (direct high heat).
6. Season the tomato slices with salt and pepper and brush with olive oil. Grill on each side 1 minute. Put a tomato slice on each of 4 plates. Remove the skins if desired.
7. Lay the quail out on 2 large plates. Pat dry with a paper towel. Season each side with salt and pepper and brush with olive oil. Put a portion of frozen mascarpone in the cavity of each bird.
8. Grill the birds, breast side down, 5 minutes. Flip and brush the cooked side with the marinade. Grill on the second side 3 minutes and then flip again. Brush with marinade and cook an additional minute, flipping the birds after 30 seconds so they cook evenly and the marinade doesn't burn. Arrange 2 quail on each plate over the tomatoes.
9. Remove the peaches from the pickling liquid and combine in a bowl with the 3 tablespoons olive oil and the cress or arugula, torn basil leaves and the grape tomato halves. Season with salt and pepper. Toss well.
10. Distribute the salad evenly over the quail.
Pickled Peaches
1 cup white wine
¾ cup sugar
1 cup sherry vinegar
1 tablespoon finely chopped ginger
½ teaspoon minced garlic
4 fresh bay leaves
3 star anise
1 small hot chili, split in half
¼ cup coarsely chopped basil leaves
3 ripe peaches, washed
1. Combine all ingredients, except the peaches, in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer 10 minutes.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Prepare an ice bath. Working one at a time set a peach in a slotted spoon and submerge in the boiling water for 10 seconds. Immediately transfer to the ice bath. Cool. Repeat with the remaining peaches.
3. When the peaches are cool, the skins should slip off easily. Split them in half and cut into quarters, but don't discard the pits. Add the peaches and pits to the pickling liquid and simmer 5 minutes. The pits impart flavor to the peaches. Allow to cool in the liquid. Transfer to a storage container, cover and refrigerate for at least one day before using.
Special Thanks:
Jody Adams, Chef/Owner Rialto Restaurant, and Author, In the Hands of a Chef: Cooking with Jody Adams of Rialto Restaurant
Rialto Restaurant
One Bennett Street
Harvard Square
Cambridge, MA 02138
www.rialto-restaurant.com
Phone: (617) 661-5050
Lane Southern Orchards
Fort Valley, Georgia
www.lanesouthernorchards.com
1-800-27-PEACH (1-800-277-3224)