Roasted Nectarine Mess With Pistachio Dukkah

Preparation

1. Step 1

   Heat the oven to 350 degrees. 

2. Step 2

   Make the nectarines: Combine the nectarines, granulated sugar, scraped vanilla pod (you’ll use the seeds later), lime zest strips, tarragon sprigs and olive oil in a rectangular 3-quart baking dish. Add the water and place in the oven for 25 minutes, gently stirring halfway through, until the nectarines are tender and have released their juices. Add the lime juice and set aside to cool to room temperature, 30 to 45 minutes. 

3. Step 3

   Meanwhile, make the dukkah: In a mortar (or the small bowl of a food processor), combine the pistachios, granulated sugar, tarragon, fennel seeds and grated lime zest. Pound with a pestle (or blitz in the food processor) to a rough crumble. 

4. Step 4

   When ready to serve, make the ricotta cream: Add the ricotta, cream, powdered sugar, salt and reserved vanilla seeds to the bowl of a stand mixer (or use a handheld mixer) and whip to medium-soft peaks, about 1 minute.

5. Step 5

   To serve, spread the cream out onto a large serving platter and crumble over half the meringues. Spoon the cooled nectarines and their jammy juices on top, crumble over the rest of the meringues, then sprinkle with the dukkah. Finish with a few tarragon leaves, a good squeeze of lime and a drizzle of olive oil.