Grilled Georgia Peach Cobbler: A Spiked Delight (+ Recipe)

By Doc Lawrence

“When it's peach pickin' time in Georgia, It's gal pickin' time to me.”

~Jimmie Rodgers~

Peaches, with their luscious sweetness, have become nearly synonymous with Georgia, a state also renowned for peach cobbler, its delectable dessert. This beloved dish, with its golden crust and bubbling fruit filling, is a quintessential Southern delight that evokes memories of sultry summer days and festive family gatherings.

Variations of peach cobbler abound, each offering a unique twist on the classic recipe. Few, however, can match the delicious originality of Chef Joshua Butler's bourbon-flavored peach cobbler. It's prepared on a grill.

Chef Butler told me when I first interviewed him several years ago that he was inspired to cook professionally when, as a teenager, he met Julia Child. "She kissed me on the cheek," he recalled, and that experience sparked an ambition that led to stints as executive chef for three Florida governors, executive chef for the popular country-rock Zac Brown Band and current employment by US Foods as a chef regional manager.

Enjoy this seasonal delight: a salute to tradition, flavored with a little daring.

Middle Georgia Spiked Peach Cobbler

Chef Joshua Butler

Yield: Serves 8

INGREDIENTS

For the Topping:

2.5 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup granulated white sugar

1 teaspoon smoked sea salt

12 tablespoons (1.5 sticks) unsalted butter, cold, cut into small pieces.

1 1/3 cups buttermilk or heavy cream

For the Filling:

1 ¼ cup packed light-brown sugar

1/3 cup bourbon

¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

3 tablespoons cane syrup

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice,

Zest from one lemon

6 cups yellow peaches (ripe but not over ripe), sliced, grilled over high heat. (about 12 medium sized)

For Serving:

Vanilla ice cream, or your favorite flavor.

RECIPE STEPS:

1. Slice peaches and reserve, pre-heat grill to 400, spray grill grate with nonstick pan spray. Working in small batches, grill peaches for a few minutes on each side, until you get visible grill marks. Take off grill and reserve for later. Pay attention to not grill for too long. Just a quick touch to add an extra layer of depth.

2. Lower the heat and prepare the grill for indirect grilling at 350°F. You can add light smoke if you want to add a kiss of flavor, pecan wood or peach wood preferable.

3. To make the topping, combine the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. Add cold butter and cut into the mixture with a pastry cutter. Cut butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs, when butter is the size of peas, stop. Gently stir in the buttermilk or heavy cream with a wooden spoon to finish the dough. Reserve.

4. To make the filling, whisk together all the ingredients but the peaches. With a rubber spatula, gently fold in the peaches and juices last.

5. Pour the peach filling into a buttered 12-inch cast-iron skillet. Drop spoonfuls of the topping over the top. Transfer to the indirect zone of the grill and close the grill. Bake, rotating occasionally, until bubbly and golden brown, about 40 minutes.

5. Serve warm with your choice of ice cream.

MORE: https://original.newsbreak.com...