Permission to persimmon
Whether you prefer them sweet and crunchy or soft and astringent, now is the time to revel in persimmon season.
Persimmons are one of my all-time favourite fruits and I eagerly await their season each year. I am quite particular about the type of persimmon, preferring the sweet and crunchy non-astringent variety for eating fresh. When I was recently given some of the astringent variety – that I know others adore – I left them to ripen on the kitchen windowsill until squishy and jelly-like inside, then cooked them into a sweet butterscotch-like sauce to pair with a frozen treat.
Crunchy persimmon and burrata salad
Firm, crunchy persimmons (the variety most often found in supermarkets) are a nice complement to a simple salad. I was lucky to find locally produced burrata at the market this week; I have also made this salad with creamy blue cheese. Preparation time: 15 minutes Serves 4 as a side
About 150g salad leaves (I used rocket and radicchio) 1 large persimmon, peeled and thinly sliced
150g burrata or bocconcini, torn into bite-sized pieces 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper
Arrange the salad leaves on a large serving plate. Scatter with persimmon rounds and cheese. Drizzle with balsamic and olive oil. Season and serve.
Persimmon, butterscotch and walnut semifreddo
Either variety of persimmon can be used in this recipe, although it is a good use for the soft-fleshed, astringent fruit. If you can’t source persimmons, then use 1⁄2 cup (100g) dried apricots, soaked in hot water for 1 hour to soften, then drained well. You will need a stand mixer or electric beater to make semifreddo as the aim is to create volume in the mixture. The effort is worth it as the result is a lovely light frozen dessert. Preparation time: 30 minutes Freezing time: 6 hours Serves 8
Persimmon butterscotch
2-3 persimmons, about 200g flesh 2 tbsp water
2 tbsp honey or sugar
30g butter
Semifreddo
200ml cream
3 eggs
1⁄4 cup mild honey or 1⁄3 cup sugar 1⁄2 cup chopped walnuts
First, make the persimmon butterscotch. If using soft, astringent persimmons, halve and scoop the flesh into a small saucepan. For firm, non-astringent persimmons, peel and chop into 1cm chunks. Add the water and honey or sugar, and simmer gently until the persimmon is soft. Use the back of a spoon to mash as it cooks (depending on the ripeness of the firm persimmon you may need to puree with a stick blender). Add the butter and simmer until thickened. Remove from the heat and pour into a bowl. Cool in the fridge.
In a mixing bowl, whip the cream until thick. Cover and place in the fridge to keep cool.
Place the eggs and honey or sugar into a mixing bowl (I used my stand mixer bowl). Sit this over a large pot of recently boiled water (not on the stovetop). Use a whisk or electric beater to vigorously whisk together until foamy and the sweetener has dissolved into the egg, about 2 minutes.
Remove the egg mixture from the pot of hot water and continue to whisk with an electric beater until tripled in size and pale in colour, about 5-6 minutes – I transferred the bowl to a stand mixer with a whisk attachment for this step.
Line a 1 litre capacity glass or ceramic loaf dish with baking paper or plastic wrap. Spread the butterscotch evenly in the base and sprinkle with half of the walnuts.
Use a spatula to gently fold the whipped cream into the egg mixture and pour into the dish. Sprinkle with the remaining walnuts and freeze until solid, about 6 hours.
To serve, invert the semifreddo onto a serving dish and peel off the paper/wrap. Slice into 2cm thick pieces and serve immediately. Consume within 2 weeks.