During university, Stephen and I were roommates along with one of our best friends. Our roommate would often bring persimmons and Stephen was never a fan. I love the flavour of persimmons but the fruit was a bit finicky to enjoy, waiting for them to ripen, then peeling and dealing with a fuzzy tongue afterwards. Having discovered persiMon®, a brand of persimmon fruit from Ribera del Xúquer region in Spain, his opinion has been swayed. persiMon® is ready to eat from the store with a firm texture and sweet flavour. As the fruit continues to ripen, the texture becomes similar to that of a peach or mango. Delicious straight from the box, persiMon® is also a versatile ingredient for a variety of dishes. In this blog post, we’ve partnered with persiMon® to show off the flavours of the lush fruit in 3 recipes that ranges a complete dinner menu.
Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post in collaboration with persiMon®. All ideas and opinions expressed are wholly mine.
We take advantage of the persiMon® fruit’s texture and sweetness in a take on the classic Asian dish, Sweet and Sour Pork with our first recipe. The second recipe focuses on the rich flavour of persiMon®, condensed in a pudding form and ends with a sweet, spiced, Mulled Wine with persiMon®, perfect for the holiday season.
persiMon® is available at grocery stores in November and December. To learn more about the fruit that is packed with vitamins C, K and A, contains folate, potassium, magnesium and manganese, and is high in fibre (6g per fruit) and antioxidants (beta carotene, lutein and lycopene), visit www.persimoncanada.com.
- 1lb pork butt cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 1 tbsp canola oil
- 1 clove of garlic, grated
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 1/2 cup pureed persiMon®
- 1 tsp canola oil
- 2 slices of ginger, smashed
- 1 whole star anise
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 1 cup white vinegar
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup potato starch
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 egg, beaten
- white pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup diced persiMon®
- 1/2 cup diced bell peppers
- 1/4 cup diced onion
- 1 tbsp canola oil
- Tenderize pork butt with meat tenderizer. In a large mixing bowl, coat the chunks of pork with the oil, grated garlic, onion powder, sesame oil and soy sauce. Marinate for 30 minutes.
- In a saucepan, heat up oil on medium high and fry ginger and star anise until fragrant, approximately 1 minute. Lower heat to medium and add ketchup, stir continuously until the sauce is caramelized. Add white vinegar and pureed persiMon®. Keep sauce on low heat and reduce until it is thick enough to coat and stick to a spoon.
- Add sugar to desired level of sweetness, set aside.
- Fill a wok with 2-3 inches of canola oil and heat until the oil hits 350 deg F.
- Into the bowl of marinated pork, add potato starch, white pepper, salt and egg. Mix thoroughly with hands until every piece of pork is coated.
- Fry battered pork until each piece is golden brown, approximately 3 minutes.
- Remove pork from oil and set aside. Let the fried pork cool for 5 minutes and then fry a second time for 2 minutes.
- Chop bell peppers, onions and persiMon® into 1/2-inch chunks.
- In a large wok, stir fry vegetables and persiMon® until just cooked but still crunchy and firm, add fried pork and toss with sauce.
- Serve immediately to keep fried pork crispy.
- 2 cups of pureed persiMon®
- 1/2 cup of chopped persiMon®
- 1/2 cup of hot water
- 1 envelop of gelatin powder
- 1/2 cup of coconut milk
- 1/4 cup of sugar
- Peel persiMon® fruits and cut into chunks, puree in blender until smooth. Set aside 1/2 cup of persiMon® cubes.
- In a large mixing bowl, add hot water and gelatin powder, stir until the powder is thoroughly dissolved. Add in pureed persiMon®, coconut milk and sugar. Stir well until the sugar is fully dissolved, then stir in chopped persiMon® fruit.
- Pour mixture into molds, cover and let set overnight in refrigerator.
- Serve topped with chopped up persiMon® fruits.
- Adjust water ratios as needed for the instructions on the gelatin powder
- Adding the chopped persiMon® into the pudding adds texture to each bite, this is optional
- 1 bottle (750ml) of red wine (i.e. Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot)
- 1 persiMon®, sliced
- 2 cups of orange juice
- 8-10 cloves
- 2-3 cinnamon sticks
- 1/4 cup of honey
- 2 whole star anise
- In a large saucepan, combine all ingredients over medium heat. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer and continue to heat for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Serve with slices of persiMon® and cinnamon stick.
- To keep the drink alcoholic, do not boil. Keep the wine on a low simmer.
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