Recipe

Make Vanilla Ice Cream

1. In bowl, whisk together egg yolks, sugar, salt and vanilla seeds.
2. In medium saucepan over medium heat, bring milk, cream and vanilla pod to a simmer. Do not let mixture come to a boil. Remove milk mixture from heat and, very slowly, ladle ¼ cup at a time into egg mixture, constantly whisking until well incorporated. (This is called tempering; it reduces the chance of the yolks curdling.)
3. Return pot to stovetop and simmer mixture, stirring constantly with wooden spoon. Watch and tend your base so that eggs do not curdle. The mixture is ready when it registers as 165°F on instant-read thermometer. (No thermometer? Cook, stirring, until mixture has sufficiently thickened and coats back of wooden spoon.)
4. Using fine-mesh strainer, strain mixture into bowl to remove any curdled egg. Place bowl in ice bath, without allowing any water to infiltrate mixture. Let chill on ice bath for 1 hour, then cover bowl and refrigerate 2 to 3 hours, or overnight.
5. For processing, follow manufacturer’s instructions for your ice cream maker. If you do not have an ice cream maker, pour mixture into shallow freezer-proof container, cover and place in freezer. Take it out every 30 minutes and mix well with hand blender. (If you have to stir by hand, well then, stir like crazy.) Repeat 4 to 6 times for creamy result.

Make Melba Sauce

1. In small heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat, combine raspberries, sugar, orange juice and salt. Cook down until sugar has melted and raspberries are softened, about 5 to 10 minutes, then stir with wooden spoon.
2. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. Using an immersion blender or in traditional blender, blend sauce until smooth. This sauce can be made in advance and stored in fridge for up to 1 week.

Grill Peaches

1. Brush cut sides of fruit with oil. Place peaches on grill (you can use a gas or charcoal grill or an indoor grill pan) cut-side down over direct heat until flesh develops grill marks and starts to soften, about 3 to 5 minutes. Brush skins with oil, then flip peaches and grill for another 2 to 3 minutes. The skin will loosen, and you can ease it off.
2. Alternatively, you can broil peaches: Preheat broiler or oven to 500°F. Keep ice cream and melba sauce on hand. Place peaches skin side down in broiler pan. Set pan under broiler or in oven for 3 to 4 minutes. Once tops of peaches start to caramelize, they are ready.

Combine and Serve

1. Once peaches are hot and bubbly, assemble your dessert any way you’d like it. I’m a sauce-on-bottom-hot-peaches-then-ice-cream-on-top kind of girl.
2. Garnish with raspberries and fresh mint chiffonade, if you desire.