Name: Cast Iron Glazed Peaches with Pistachios
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 1/3 cup water; 2 tablespoons lemon juice; 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 6 ripe but firm peaches , peeled, halved, and pitted; 1/4 cup red currant jelly; 1 tablespoon unsalted butter , cut into 4 pieces; 1/4 cup shelled pistachios , toasted and chopped coarse

Why This Recipe Works

It's hard to improve upon a perfectly ripe peach, but with the help of our cast-iron skillet we aimed to enhance the fruit's natural sweetness and create a fresh, light dessert. Many recipes for glazed peaches do nothing but drown the star of the show in cloyingly sweet syrup, when what you really want is to emphasize the fruit's flavor. We started by cooking peach halves cut side down in water, lemon juice, sugar, and salt in a covered skillet to tenderize the fruit. Next we uncovered the skillet to let the excess water evaporate so the sugar would start browning the peaches. Red currant jelly and a little butter added toward the end of cooking created a lightly sweet, syrupy glaze that perfectly complemented the peaches without overwhelming them. A sprinkling of toasted pistachios on top added a flavorful crunch. We kept all the cooking in one skillet on the stovetop, which made this dessert quick and easy, with no need to heat up the oven or broiler. Occasionally shaking the skillet to shift the peaches while cooking helped prevent them from sticking to the bottom of the pan.

Before You Begin

For the best texture, try to buy peaches that are neither fully ripe nor rock hard; choose fruit that yields slightly when pressed. A serrated peeler makes easy work of peeling the peaches. Serve with vanilla ice cream.

Instructions

Bring water, lemon juice, sugar, and salt to boil in 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add peaches to skillet cut side down, cover, and cook until almost tender (a fork inserted into center of peach meets slight resistance), 3 to 5 minutes.

Uncover and continue to cook until liquid is nearly evaporated and cut sides of peaches are beginning to brown, 5 to 8 minutes. Add jelly and butter and cook, shaking skillet occasionally, until glaze is thickened, about 1 minute.

Transfer peaches cut side up to serving platter. Spoon glaze over peaches and sprinkle with pistachios. Serve.