FOOD: Fruit of the Gods

Taste

FOOD / WINE / DINING OUT

Fruit of the Gods

PERSIMMONS BRING SWEET FLAVOR AND VIBRANT COLOR TO THREE DISHES CREATED BY CHEFS IN THE 805.

By Jaime Lewis

Down the street from me, the branches of a neighbor’s Fuyu persimmon tree sag with plump, squat orange fruits. They begin light green each summer, ripening to copper by fall, with skin that shines after I squeak my thumb over it. Even before those persimmons make it to the kitchen to be eaten, they are enchanting. “Persimmons scream fall,” says executive chef Frank Barajas of Pequín Coastal Cocina at Vespera

Resort (vesperapismobeach.com/dining) in Pismo Beach.

“They’re just like pumpkins, squashes, and gourds to me.”

In culinary contexts, the most common persimmons are subvariants of the Japanese persimmon, diospyros kaki—Greek for “food of the gods.” Two of those subvariants appear commonly in the 805: the fuyu and the hachiya persimmon.

“Fuyus are sweet,” says Barajas. “Other varieties tend to be more tannic.” Their shapes are different, too: fuyus look like a tomato, and hachiyas have the shape of a large acorn.

Each of the recipes that follow calls for the sweeter fuyu persimmon, but for very different dishes: a burrata appetizer, a salad, and a cake. I plan to try them out at this year’s Thanksgiving feast. And where will I find the fuyus to supply those recipes? Let’s just say my neighbor’s tree has nowhere to hide.

FUYU PERSIMMONS TWO WAYS WITH BURRATA

“Fuyu Persimmon with Burrata is a colorful appetizer that’s perfect for fall,” says chef Barajas. “The contrast in textures between the fresh and roasted persimmon shines against the creamy burrata cheese. A touch of honey and olive oil melds the flavors together, and dukkah adds crunch and spice.” To determine when fuyu persimmons are ripe, he recommends thinking of the fruit like a banana. “The riper they are, the mushier they are. You want your fuyu to have a slight give to it, but not as much as, say, a tomato.”

Serves 4 2 fuyu persimmons (firm), peeled and thinly sliced 1 cup Persimmon Salsa (recipe follows) 4 2-ounce balls of burrata Extra-virgin olive oil, to taste 6 ounces orange blossom honey ¼ cup Chef Burajas’ Dukkah (recipe follows)

Mint leaves, for garnish

Arrange persimmon slices in the bottom of four serving bowls. Add a large spoonful of Persimmon Salsa and place a burrata ball on top. Drizzle with olive oil and honey, sprinkle with dukkah, and garnish with mint leaves.

PERSIMMON SALSA 4 small ripe fuyu persimmons 2 teaspoons minced and seeded jalapeño 2 tablespoons minced white onion 2 teaspoons minced fresh mint 1 teaspoon minced and peeled fresh ginger root 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice 2 ounces extra-virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 375°F. Peel persimmons and place them on a sheet pan with jalapeño; roast until both are slightly charred and soft, approximately 6 to 8 minutes.

Transfer to the bowl of a food processor; pulse to a salsa texture. Fold in onion, mint and ginger. Stir in lime juice and olive oil.

CHEF BARAJAS’ DUKKAH 2 tablespoons coriander seeds 1 teaspoon cumin seeds 1½ tablespoons black and white sesame seeds ¼ cup hazelnuts, toasted ¼ cup almonds, toasted 1 teaspoon dried oregano ¼ teaspoon salt

Combine all ingredients in a food processor or spice grinder, and pulse to a coarse crumble.

OLIVE OIL CAKE WITH FUYU PERSIMMON CHUTNEY

Playing with sweet and savory flavors, chef Shaun Behrens of Bear City Social (bearcitysocial.com) mobile kitchen in Los Osos serves this olive oil cake with chutney >

In Pascale Beale’s Persimmon, Orange, and Red Onion Salad, slices of Fuyu persimmon lend a fresh twist to a traditional Spanish tapas dish.

Fuyus versus Hachiyas

While fuyus can be eaten straight off the tree, like an apple, hachiyas need to be processed in some way to tone down their astringency. One of most common methods is to peel hachiya persimmons and hang them for multiple weeks, which dries them out, crystallizes their sugars, and turns them into a deliciously tart fruit leather. Called hoshigaki, the practice originated in Japan, but stateside chefs and home cooks have borrowed the idea, too. made from local fruit. While he might use strawberries in spring or peaches in summer, fall calls for persimmons. Behrens says he likes fuyu persimmons because, “they are an instant-use fruit when they’re ripe, as opposed to the hachiya variety. I like the texture and somewhat tropical flavor of it.” For the best results with the chutney, he recommends using perfectly ripe persimmons. And, for the cake,“use very good olive oil here,” he says. “It doesn’t have to be extra-virgin, but a fullbodied flavorful version works well.”

Makes 6 to 8 servings 1¼ cups all-purpose flour ⅔ cup granulated sugar ½ teaspoon baking powder ¼ teaspoon kosher salt ⅔ cup good olive oil, plus extra for drizzling ½ cup Greek yogurt 2 eggs 3 tablespoons lemon juice

Zest of 1 lemon

Whipped cream (for serving)

Fuyu Persimmon Chutney (recipe follows)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Oil and lightly flour a 9-inch springform pan or round cake pan.

In a large bowl, mix together dry ingredients. Slowly whisk in olive oil, yogurt, and eggs. Add lemon juice and zest; lightly stir until mixture is completely incorporated and there are no lumps.

Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow cake to cool for approximately 10 to 15 minutes before slicing.

Serve with a dollop of whipped cream, persimmon chutney, and a drizzle of good olive oil.

FUYU PERSIMMON CHUTNEY 4 ripe fuyu persimmons, peeled and diced into ½-inch cubes 1 orange, zested and juiced 2 teaspoons granulated sugar 2 teaspoons rice vinegar 1 tablespoon brandy 2 pinches coarsely ground pink peppercorns 2 pinches paprika

In a medium bowl, mix together all ingredients and set aside to marinate at room temperature for at least 10 minutes or in the refrigerator for one week.

PERSIMMON, ORANGE, AND RED ONION SALAD

Orange and red onion salad is traditional tapas fare in Spain. This play on that salad by Pascale Beale, cookbook author and culinary educator at Pascale’s Kitchen (pascaleskitchen. com) in Santa Barbara, calls for grilled, sliced onions, rather than raw ones, and the addition of very thinly sliced Fuyu persimmons. You’ll need a mandolin to slice them.

Serves 8 people 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 teaspoon ras el hanout, available at World Market 1 large red onion, peeled and thinly sliced 3–4 oranges, peeled and sliced 2–3 Fuyu persimmons, thinly sliced on a mandolin 1 cup cilantro leaves Juice and zest of 1 large lemon ¼ cup olive oil Salt and pepper to taste

Combine olive oil and ras el hanout in a mediumsized bowl. Add sliced red onion and toss carefully to coat, keeping onion slices intact.

Heat a grill pan until very hot. Cook onion slices 2 to 3 minutes on each side until well browned. Set aside to cool.

Arrange orange slices, persimmons slices, and grilled onions on a large platter in an attractive pattern. Scatter cilantro leaves on top.

In a small bowl, whisk together lemon juice and zest, olive oil, and salt and pepper to form an emulsion. Drizzle vinaigrette over salad, and serve. 