Inspired by Peaches

By Katie Barreira

This past weekend I embarked on a fly-by-night getaway to Cape Cod with a group of fabulous lady food editors. As you might imagine, there was a lot of eating and we definitely disproved one old adage: there is no such thing as too many cooks in the kitchen.

The meals we planned were delicious, but it was a spontaneous moment of culinary inspiration that provided the most memorable dish of the trip. Sunday morning, still in our PJs, we surveyed the remaining food and started on a fruit salad, but those squat little donut peaches were just too cute to cut up. When pitted, dipped in a thick batter and fried, however, the peaches became dead ringers for the confections after which they were named, but instead of a doughy center, you bite into warm, juicy peach flesh.

While the golden peach pillows bobbed in hot oil, we ransacked the cupboards, lamenting the absence of powdered sugar for dusting. But there was no need for distress; our unflappable hostess popped outside, picked a few sprigs of mint from her garden and ground them into a scoop of granulated sugar. The herb-infused mixture added the perfect touch of crunch and freshness to the decadent donuts.

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Donut Peach Donuts
Serves 4

1 quart canola oil
8 firm-ripe donut peaches
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar, divided
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg or cinnamon
1 cup whole milk
2 eggs, lightly beaten

1. In a large pot, heat the oil to 375 degrees on a deep-fry thermometer.
2. Pit the peaches: the freestone pits are easy to remove, use a pairing knife to slice through the peach right next to the pit, then hold the pit between thumb and forefinger and twist the peach to remove the pit. An apple corer is also an excellent tool for this job.
3. In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the mint with ¼ cup of the sugar just until combined, 2 or 3 one-second pulses.
4. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, remaining ¼ cup sugar, salt and nutmeg. Add the milk and eggs and stir until well combined. Dip the whole, pitted peaches into the batter and carefully transfer to the hot oil. Fry, turning once, until deep golden, about 2 minutes. Transfer to paper towels with a slotted spoon. Serve immediately sprinkled with mint sugar.

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Comments

[Harry Covair]

I 've tried something like this before but instead of using the Sugar/Mint sprinkling, I tossed the still hot Peach (filled) Doughnut in a premixed Sugar/Cinnamon mixture. It's like eating a fresh fruit Malasada. (Sandy should know what I'm referring - Cinnamon/Sugar Malasada). So delicious when still fresh and hot!