This is a dish of glorious flavours. Peaches in summer (or swap them for plums when they are not in season) -are poached with rich honey, and then tempered by goats cheese and pepper. A quick and very tasty lunch.
Serves: 4-6
6 ripe or semi-ripe peaches (or plums)
4 tbsp medium honey
2 cloves
4 sprigs of thyme
100g soft goats cheese
Cut the peaches (or plums) in half and discard the stones.
In a large saucepan heat the honey with 200ml water, the cloves and 2 sprigs of the thyme. Heat just until the honey has dissolved into the water. Add the fruit halves, bring it to a boil, then turn down to a very gentle simmer and put the lid on the pan. Poach like this for 5 mins until the fruit is tender but holding its shape. They will need less time if very ripe, more if harder.
Gently lift the peaches (or plums) out with a slotted spoon and sit them cut-sit up on a serving plate. Remove the thyme and cloves from the pan, then increase the heat under the poaching liquid so that it bubbles rapidly and reduces to a syrup. Set aside to cool a little.
Spoon a teaspoon or so of goats cheese into each fruit half. Finish with a scattering of thyme leaves from the sprigs you haven’t used yet, and a grinding of black pepper. Serve with the honey-poaching syrup in a jug at the table, so everyone can help themselves to drizzling over as much as they want.
(This recipe originally featured for Borough Market.)