Peach Bellini

Wash the peaches under running water and dry them with a paper towel. In a large skillet or pot, bring about 1.5-2 liters of water to a boil. Prepare a bowl of ice-cold water (ice bath) — needed for immediately cooling the fruits after pouring boiling water over them.

Drop the peaches into boiling water for 30-40 seconds — the skin should slightly swell. Remove them immediately with a slotted spoon and transfer to a bowl of ice-cold water for 1 minute to stop the cooking process. Once cooled, the skin should easily come off with your fingers — peel the skin off.

Cut the peaches in half, remove the pits, and chop the flesh into smaller pieces. Place the pieces in a blender or food processor. Add freshly squeezed lemon juice (15 ml). Blend until smooth for 30–60 seconds, until there are no large pieces and the consistency is silky. If the purée is very fibrous, blend a little longer.

Taste the purée: if the peaches are not sweet enough, add sugar (30 g) to the purée. Gradually add the sugar and blend for about 20-30 seconds until the sugar dissolves. If you are concerned about the sugar not dissolving, you can first dissolve it in 15-30 ml of hot water and let it cool — then add the syrup to the purée.

Transfer the purée to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and place in the refrigerator for 20–30 minutes to chill thoroughly. Chilled purée combines better with prosecco and doesn't kill the bubbles with cold alcohol.

Make sure the prosecco is well chilled (ideally 6–8°C). It's best to place the bottle in the fridge 2–3 hours beforehand. If you don't have that much time, put the bottle in a bucket with ice and water, adding a handful of salt for 20–30 minutes — this will speed up the cooling.

Prepare 6 flute glasses and chill them slightly (briefly place them in the freezer or fill them with cold water for a moment and then pour it out). Measure 75 ml of chilled peach purée and pour it into each glass. Then slowly add 125 ml of chilled prosecco to each glass, holding the glass at an angle and pouring the prosecco down the side to preserve the bubbles. Gently stir 1-2 times with a bar spoon from top to bottom, not vigorously.

Garnish each glass with a thin slice of peach placed on the rim of the glass or a small mint leaf on the surface. Serve immediately — the cocktail loses its fizz after a few minutes.

Serve the Bellini immediately after preparation — preferably within 5–10 minutes of pouring. If you are making a larger amount of purée, store it in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 48 hours or freeze it in ice cube trays (for up to 3 months) and thaw as needed.