Grilled Peaches and Vanilla Ice Cream with Wildflower Honey and Black Walnuts

Excerpted from Hunter Chef in the Wild by Michael Hunter. Copyright © 2025 by Michael Hunter. Food photography by Jody Shapiro. Published by Penguin, an imprint of Penguin Canada, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.

Ingredients

For the Vanilla Ice Cream

• 2 cups (500 mL) whole milk 
• 2 cups (500 mL) heavy (35%) cream 
• 1 ½ cups (375 mL) granulated sugar 
• 2 teaspoons (10 mL) pure vanilla extract 
• 10 large egg yolks 

For the Toasted Black Walnut

• ½ cup (125 mL) chopped black walnuts 

For the Grilled Peaches

• 6 peaches, cut in half and pitted 
• 1 tablespoon (15 mL) butter, melted 

For serving

• ¼ cup (60 mL) wildflower honey  
• Fresh thyme leaves (optional) 

Directions

Make the Vanilla Ice Cream

1. In a medium saucepan, heat an inch or so of water until simmering. 
2. In another medium saucepan, combine the milk, cream, sugar, and vanilla.  Heat over medium until almost simmering, then immediately remove from the heat. 
3.  In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks.  Whisking constantly, gradually pour the hot milk mixture into the egg yolks in a slow and steady stream.  (Adding all the hot mixture at once can cause the eggs to scramble, resulting in an eggy taste in the ice cream.) 
4. Set the bowl wit the hot egg mixture over the pot of simmering water (be the sure the bowl is not touching the water).  Continue to cook, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom of the bowl with a heatproof rubber spatula, until the custard thickens slightly and the temperature reaches 175F (80C) on a probe thermometer.  Remove the bowl from the heat and let the custard cool to room temperature.  Cover the surface with plastic wrap and transfer the custard to the fridge until cool, at least 2 hours.  (If your ice-cream maker uses a frozen canister, chill the custard overnight.) 
5.  Strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium bowl.  Pour the custard into an ice-cream maker and process according to the manufacturer’s instructions.  The ice cream can be stored in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 1 week. 

Toast the Walnuts and Grill the Peaches

1. Prepare a charcoal or wood fire in an outdoor grill or firepit and let the flames die down with red embers visible.  Set a grate over the fire.  Alternatively, preheat a gas grill to 500F (260C). 
2. While the grill heats, toast the walnuts in a small pan on the grill grate, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 5 minutes. 
3. In a large bowl, toss the peaches with the melted butter.  Grill the peaches cut side down until dark grill marks form, 3 to 4 minutes.  For a crisscross pattern, rotate the peaches halfway through grilling.  (I only grill fresh and tender peaches on one side.) 
4. Arrange the peaches grilled side up on plates.  Scoop the vanilla ice cream on top.  Drizzle with wildflower honey, sprinkle with toasted walnuts, and garnish with thyme, if using.