Peach Melba
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The Peach Melba is a classic French dessert, invented in London to honour an Australian. It combines two favourite summer fruits: peaches and raspberry sauce accompanying vanilla ice cream.
The Peach Melba was originally created in 1892 or 1893 by Auguste Escoffier at the Savoy Hotel, London. He had heard Nellie Melba, a famous opera singer from Australia, perform at Covent Garden one night and was inspired to create a dessert just for her. Rumour had it she loved ice cream, but did not dare eat it often, believing it would affect her vocal cords. Escoffier created a sauce of raspberries, redcurrant jelly, sugar and cornstarch. In Peach Melba, the ice cream, being only one element in a whole, would not be as cold and thus not harm her vocal cords. He served it at a dinner she was hosting, presented in an ice sculpture of a swan inspired by the performance of Lohengrin he had seen, and a classic was born.
The dish was elected for Sky One's "The World's Greatest Dishes" but did not win. The dish was described as "overdecorated" by the food critics.
[edit] See also
[edit] External link
- www.ivillage.com a recipe for peach melba
