Fragrant Spanish persimon are in season from October until mid January. It has a sweet, firm, orange flesh, similar to a peach or mango and can be eaten fresh, or used in sweet and savoury dishes.
It is incredibly easy to eat – bite into it like an apple. You can also make the most of this unusual fruit during the short season by using them in these delicious autumnal recipes.
Seared Salmon with Persimon Salsa – serves 2
Ingredients
For the salmon;
3-4 tbsp Olive oil
2 Salmon fillets
1 Lemon, juice only
Salt & pepper
For the persimon salsa
4 Asparagus spears, chargrilled and chopped
2 Handfuls fresh coriander, leaves only,chopped
2 Ripe Spanish persimons, top cut off, skin peeled and chopped into small cubes
8-10 Cherry tomatoes
Large pinch chilli flakes
A couple of dashes soy sauce
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt & pepper
1 tsp honey
Lime wedges and parsley sprigs to garnish
Method
1. For the salsa, mix all of the salsa ingredients together in a small bowl until well combined
2. Season the salmon with salt and pepper then heat the olive oil in a pan. Add the salmon
and fry on one side for 5-10 minutes. Turn the salmon over, squeeze over the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.
3. Serve the salmon with the salsa around it, or with the salsa piled on top of the salmon. Garnish with the lime wedges and parsley
3. Serve the salmon with the salsa around it, or with the salsa piled on top of the salmon. Garnish with the lime wedges and parsley
Chicken and Caramelised Persimon Tagine – serves 4
By Sam & Sam Clark, Moro, London
Ingredients
4 chicken drumsticks + thighs, skin removed
2 cloves garlic, crushed to a paste with salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
300ml water
30g butter
15 strands of saffron
1 large onion, grated coarsely
3 persimons, peeled and cut into wedges (sixths)
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
3 tablespoons roughly chopped coriander
Sea salt and black pepper
For the caramelised persimon topping
3 persimons, peeled + quartered
30g salted butter
1 pinch of cinnamon
For the garnish
Fresh coriander leaves
1 tablespoon lightly toasted sesame seeds
Method
1. Rub the chicken with the crushed garlic and the cinnamon and allow to sit for 20
minutes.
2. Toss the chicken with all the other ingredients and season with salt and pepper.
Place in a tagine, frying pan or saucepan with a tight fitting lid. Simmer lid on for 1 ½
hours. Turn the chicken half way through cooking and check the sauce is not drying
out too much or catching. If it is, add a little water.
3. To caramelise the persimons, gently melt the butter a frying pan. Place the
persimons in the pan and turn up the heat to brown/caramelise on two or three sides
(trying to keep the caramel on the fruit, not in the pan). Sprinkle with a little salt and
cinnamon.
4. When the chicken is ready, it should be almost falling off the bone and the sauce
thick and not too watery. Taste for seasoning.
5. Serve the chicken with the caramelised persimons, coriander and sesame seeds
on top.
Persimon Tarte Tatin – serves 4
Ingredients
2 Medium Eggs
1 Persimon
250g Plain Flour
125g Caster Sugar
125g Butter
1 lemon – zest only
55g Brown sugar
15g Butter
½ Lime – Juice only
Double Cream
Method
1. Preheat the oven to gas mark 7 / 220°C
2. Take the eggs, flour and sugar, butter and the zest of one lemon and place in a
food processor until they form a dough consistency
3. Flour the work surface and then begin to roll the dough until it is around 1cm thick
4. Cut a circle out of the pastry which is around 12-15 cam wide
5. Prepare the persimon by slicing into half and then into thin slices
6. Place the brown sugar into a small frying pan along with the butter and lime juice
and heat over a high flame for 3 minutes.
7. Add the persimon slices to the pan and cook for a further 2 -3 minutes
8. Remove the from the heat and lay the pastry on top
9. Place into the oven for 10 minutes until the pastry is golden
10. Remove from the oven and serve with double cream