St. Lawrence Grilled Peaches
St. Lawrence was a 3rd century deacon of Rome. The stories say he was martyred by the local prefect for refusing to renounce his faith or to surrender the treasures of the church to the Roman government. Because he’d been rather cheeky in his refusal, the prefect dreamed up an especially brutal death for him. He had a large gridiron prepared, with red hot coals beneath it. St. Lawrence was placed upon the gridiron to suffer, but Lawrence, in the midst of his physical agony, just before his death, cheerfully declared, “You had better turn me over. I’m done on this side!” He is the patron saint of cooks and comedians.
This sweet and tangy summer treat is the perfect complement to barbecue meats. Serve them as is or top with whipped cream or ice cream for a fabulous dessert. Look for larger freestone varieties of peach.
Ingredients
- 1 stick unsalted butter at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons ancient Roman spice blend or substitute cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- Pinch salt
- 4 ripe peaches halved and stoned
- Canola oil
- Mint leaves for garnish
- For the spice blend:
- Mustard seed celery seed, oregano leaves, rosemary leaves, black peppercorns, cumin seed, fennel seed, ground ginger, caraway seed (a scant ¼ teaspoon of each, combined and ground with a mortar & pestle).
Instructions
- In a small bowl add the butter and stir until smooth. Add the spice blend (or cinnamon), brown sugar, and salt and mix until combined.
- Heat the grill to high. Brush the peaches with oil and grill them until marked with grill lines and just cooked through. Top each with a few teaspoons of the butter and garnish with mint leaves.
- Alternatively, they can be baked at 425° F for 8-10 minutes, then topped with butter.
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