Roasted Peaches in Bourbon Syrup with Smoked Salt

Nominated for a 2011 IACP Cookbook Award in the Food and Beverage Reference/Technical category and a 2011 James Beard Cookbook Award in the Reference and Scholarship category. For a list of all the finalists check out our IACP Finalists' Guide and our James Beard Finalists' Guide. 

Recipe from Salted by Mark Bitterman (Ten Speed Press, 2010)

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Serves 

• 4 large, barely ripe peaches
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup lightly packed brown sugar
• 1 cinnamon stick, broken into 3 pieces
• 1/4 cup bourbon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• Greek yogurt, crème fraîche, or caramel ice cream, for serving (optional)
• 4 two-finger pinches Maine apple smoked salt

Preheat the oven to 425°F.

Put the peaches, stem side down, in a baking dish large enough to hold the peaches without allowing them to touch one another. Poke each peach with a fork several times to keep them from bursting.

In a small saucepan, bring the water, sugar, and cinnamon to a boil over high heat. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the bourbon, vanilla, and butter. Return the pan to low heat and simmer until the butter melts. Remove and discard the cinnamon pieces. Spoon the sauce over the peaches.

Roast the peaches for 10 minutes, then remove the dish from the oven and brush the peaches with syrup from the bottom of the dish. Return the dish to the oven and roast until the peaches are just tender enough to pierce with a fork, about 25 minutes more. Let cool for at least 15 minutes before serving.

Serve one peach per person, with some syrup spooned over the top. Serve with a dollop of Greek yogurt or crème fraîche or a scoop of caramel ice cream, if desired. Sprinkle a two-finger pinch of the salt over each serving.

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