Southern Pearl, a fragile white peach with a rosy blush, has a delicate sweetness
that mingles beautifully with sparkling wines such as Prosecco or Cava.
“I’ll tell you what: I bit into one of those peaches this morning and my knees about turned to water.”
Last Tuesday the peach boys at the Mt. Pleasant S.C. Farmer’s Market had bushels of yellow peaches, sweet and ripe, bursting with luscious juice. But it was Southern Pearl, a creamy white peach with a rosy blush that won the day. Not everybody likes white peaches, said one of the boys, but to me, wilting in the scorching 101-degree sun, they seemed the cooler, more delectable choice.
When you bite into a Southern Pearl, the ripest part of the flesh is deep rose. The juice, which will truly drip down your chin, is like nectar. It has a delicate, evanescent peach flavor--less full bodied than a yellow Elberta, for instance--in which sweetness and acidity are beautifully balanced. According to Arlie Powell, a horticulturist at Auburn University, the Pearl is a relatively new peach—there’s also Summer Pearl and Scarlet Pearl—well-suited to growing in hot Southern summers. It also doesn’t transport well—a sure sign of fabulous local fruit.
Perfect for Bellinis, in fact. Real Bellinis, made with ripe white peaches and Prosecco, are to die for. Like every other American, I fell in love with the drink in Venice at Harry’s Bar, where it was invented, between 1934 and 1948, by bartender Giuseppe Cipriani. (He named it after the 15-century artist, Giorgio Bellini, because its rosy hue recalled the color of a saint’s robes in one of his paintings.) The bubbles of the sparkling wine mingled with the sweetness of the peach puree—and it had an enchanting pink blush.
In Charleston last week, F.I.G. listed peach Bellinis on its drinks menu, but when we tried to order one, the server apologized: “The kitchen didn’t make the fresh peach puree tonight, so we can’t make them.” Thumbs up to F.I.G. for not going with the bottled stuff.
Bellinis can be made with almost any sparkling wine except fine French champagne—the flavor of the peaches and the wine are at odds, apparently. I stuck a bottle of Cristalino, a Spanish Cava, in the freezer for an hour and it made a delicious, icy cold drink.
The following recipe makes four Bellinis. It’s best to make small batches of the peach puree right before serving, since it starts to turn brown after 15 or 20 minutes. A fleeting pleasure, after all, like so many summer pearls.
Southern Pearl Bellinis
To serve 4
Ingredients:
2/3 pound ripe Southern Pearl, or other white peaches
1 or more tablespoons of simple syrup to taste (see note)
1 bottle Prosecco, Cava or other sparkling wine, well chilled
4 champagne flutes, chilled if desired
Method:
1. Cool the peaches in the refrigerator for 20 minutes before serving.
2. When you are ready to make the Bellinis, peel the skin off the peaches with a sharp knife. (If they are truly ripe, this will be an easy task.) Cut the flesh away from the pits and put it into a blender. Blend at high speed for 30 seconds, or until the puree is very smooth. Taste, and add simple syrup—the amount will depend upon the sweetness of the peaches and your own taste. Strive for a balance of sweetness and acidity.
2. Pour the peach puree into champagne flutes--chilled, if you like—until they are a bit more than 1/3 full. Slowly pour in the sparkling wine, topping up as necessary, until the glass is full. Stir once or twice with a long handled ice tea spoon and serve immediately.
Note: To make simple syrup, combine 1 cup white sugar with 1 cup water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from the burner and let cool before using.