As the weather gets chillier, it’s prime time to grab a box of Persimons.
Through mid-October to December, these orange gems are the perfect way to sweeten a meal or enjoy on it’s own. Persimmons come in many assortments. The stump tomato-shaped and large leafed one we are all familiar of sighting is the “Fuyu“, should be indulged once firm, another is the “Hachiya” which is a, longer, oblong shape (similiar to the shape of the persimon that I will be showcasing today), but it is necessary that that the Hachiya becomes completely ripened and soft and is more for use in cooking.
Today, we have in our hands the “Rojo Brillante” that is trademarked “Persimon®” and recognized as a special produce from Spain, exclusive to the Ribera del Xúquer Valley as well as being certified and protected by the Denomination of Origin (D.O) Ribera del Xúquer. The flavour of the Rojo Brillante Persimon® is reminiscent to a slightly firm and crunchy cantalope-peach-mango hybrid.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UHfq4jEo2s&w=560&h=315]
I’ve taken on the Persimon Black Box Challenge which included ingredients from Spain to form my own original Persimon recipe. Upon opening the package, there were ingredients of sardines, chorizo and cheese, an assortment of savoury tapas was a must – I do love my savouries.
Here are some fun facts about our ready-to-eat Persimon®:
- Six grams of fibre are offered per fruit
- Excellent source of Vitamin A and C
- Contains potassium, magnesium and maganese and minerals
- Can be enjoyed fresh like an apple, skin pre-peeled or sliced!
Persimon can either be eaten as is, skin and all, or diced the throw into a cereal as a sweetener. This seedless fruit is firm and mild in sweetness, it could very well be seen to replace recipes that include apples and cantalopes.
For my three takes on the tapas, I made use of the Persimon in a tangy assortment, as a dip and as a stuffing. Very surprisingly as it was the first time, each three worked extraordinarily well with the right amount of seasoning and toppings.
See below for the three recipes:
Tapa No.1: Sardine on Toast Topped with Persimon Salsa
serves 6 tapas in 15 minutes
Ingredients:
1/2 onion, diced
1/2 jalapeno, diced
1 tblspn lime
1 tspn salt
bundle cilantro
pepper
1 tblspn olive oil
sardines
baguette
The Method:
- Dice ingredients to same dimensions and combine.
- Serve salsa on top of toasted baguettes and sardines.
Tapa No.2: Croquettes with a Persimon + Piquillo Pepper Dip
serves 6 in 30 minutes
Ingredients
CROQUETTES:
3 potatoes
1/2 jalapeno
1/2 onion
2 eggs (one for breading)
salt & pepper to taste
mancha cheese (can substitute for any stringy cheese)
breadcrumbs
SAUCE
1 persimon, cubed
3 pieces of piquillo peppers
1 shallot, finely sliced
1 tblspn olive oil
Method
- Peel and boil potatoes.
- Mash potatoes. Add onion, jalapeno, egg, salt, pepper and mix.
- Cut cheese into 3cm pieces.
- Use bowl and spoon to form nuggets. Create bottom layer, add cheese then top layer and form.
- Wrap in saran wrap and refrigerate.
- Blend persimon and piquillo peppers.
- Put into pan to simmer. Add shallots.
- Place sauce into bowl and add pepper and olive oil.
- Prepare for breading. Beat one egg and prepare breadcrumbs. Roll croquette into egg mix and into bread crumbs.
- Fry in shallow oil – or bake for 20 minutes.
Tapa No.3: Chorizo Meatballs stuffed with Persimon + Piquillo Pepper
Makes 5 in 20 minutes
Ingredients
2 chorizo sausages
1 piquillo pepper, sliced
1/2 persimmon, cubed
iberico cheese, shaved
Method:
- Take sausages out of casings.
- Form small balls while inserting two pieces of persimon and two pieces of piquillo peppers.
- Sear meatballs. Once done, add in remaining pieces of persimon and piquillo peppers to create a glaze.
- Serve topped with iberico cheese.
This Black Box Challenge was sponsored by Persimon Says. All opinions are my own.
