Roast peaches in vermouth with PX sherry ice cream

1. For the ice cream, heat the milk with the vanilla pod and seeds until almost boiling. Whisk the egg yolks and caster sugar with a hand whisk until really thick and fl uffy. Pour in the hot milk and stir well. Clean out the pan, then strain the mixture back in.

2. Cook over a medium-low heat to make a thick custard – about 4-5 minutes. Take off the heat, cover the surface with cling fi lm and leave to cool, then chill (overnight if possible). Stir in the cream and sherry, then churn in an ice-cream maker until thick. Scoop into a freezeproof container; freeze for at least 4 hours.

3. Heat the oven to 180˚C, gas mark 4. Halve the peaches and put in a roasting tin. Put a little knob of butter on each, then drizzle with the honey. Pour the vermouth into the bottom of the tin (it should cover it to a depth of about 1cm) and roast in the oven for 15 minutes.

4. Spoon the juices over the peaches and bake for a further 5-10 minutes, until they are tender but still holding their shape. Drain the juices into a small pan and bubble over a high heat to thicken to a coating syrup – about 10-12 minutes.

5. Serve the peaches with the syrup and ice cream, scatter with the almonds, and offer some more chilled vermouth alongside, if liked.