Summer Dessert: Peach-Mulberry Crostata
The relatively new Mid-City Italian restaurant Sirena has given us one of their chef Sandy Gendel's dessert recipes. It makes perfect use of summer fruit -- you might have to search the farmers' markets a bit to find mulberries, but they're worth it. If they prove elusive, sub in another berry. That's the beauty of the crostata: it's meant to be rustic and amenable to any changes. Though I do highly recommend including the brandy in the whipped cream.
Peach and Mulberry Crostata
Serves 6
Crostata Dough
2 cups organic all purpose flour (the restaurant uses Giusto's)
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 lb unsalted butter, COLD
2 oz ice water
1/2 cup sugar
In a mixer with paddle attachment, add flour, sugar, and salt. Cut butter into small cubes and add to the mixing bowl. Stir on the lowest speed until butter is pea-sized, then add ice water. Stir until the dough just comes together. Take out of mixing bowl and slightly knead by hand. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for two hours.
Roll dough out to 1/4 inch thickness and cut into 6-inch diameter circles.
Crostata Filling:
3 peaches
1 cup of mulberries
To Serve:
Whipped Cream
Brandy
Cut each peach in half and remove the pit. Slice each half thinly, taking caution to keep the rounded shape of the peach half intact. Slide a spatula under the sliced peach and gently press down on the top to spread out the slices just enough to expose some of the flesh of the peach. Slide the half of peach on the middle of the circle of dough. Arrange the mulberries around and over the peach.
Bake in preheated 375 degree oven for about 15 min or until the pastry is golden brown in color. Serve with whipped cream flavored with a bit of brandy!
