Persimmon season in Missouri is roughly September through October, and while these fruits are a delicious treat, they can be hard to find and are often considered a niche culinary item. There are many reasons for this, but much of it has to do with difficulty in cultivating the trees and shipping the fruit, which tends to break down rather quickly. If you are lucky enough to happen upon persimmons, however, either by foraging or coming across them at your local market, they can be a wonderful addition to dishes, thanks to their bright, sweet flavor.
Justin McMillen, chef at Noto and owner of Elwsorth Supper Club, grew up eating persimmons this time of year and has a special place in his heart for the fruit.
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“Persimmons are actually very versatile,” McMillen says. “Growing up, my grandmother would use persimmon pulp for a persimmon pudding, which is a very rich, cake-like batter that is earthy, sweet, and delicious. She always paired it with Cool Whip or whipped cream, so I like to stay true to her style and just do that for a simple dessert.
“Another thing I like to do is use the persimmon pulp to make a barbecue sauce,” McMillan adds. “Persimmons have a great sweetness to them, so I like to combine them with a little Worcestershire, ketchup, chili powder, and mustard powder to create my own sauce—or you can doctor up a barbecue sauce you already have on hand with them. It will give a great caramelization to your meat and your vegetables. A persimmon mole is another great option.
“In Japanese cuisine, there is a sauce called tare that is made from a mirin, sake, and soy reduction that sometimes includes chicken bones, fish bones, or shrimp shells. You can add a little persimmon to the mix and use it as a glaze when you are grilling fish. It gives it a nice salty taste from the soy, while the sugar in the persimmon adds caramelization and great depth of flavor.
“If you want to really push the envelope with persimmon, you can mix the pulp with ricotta and lemon zest to make it into a ravioli filling. For the sauce, make a mixture of brown butter, sage and roasted chicken stock so that the dish is both savory but has a bright deep flavor from the filling. You can garnish it with a little bit of lemon zest, and toasted pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds.
“Of course, persimmons are perfect for making gelato or ice cream. For a topping, I’ll make a quick caramel with this really good brown sugar from Okinawa, cream and butter. You can also add a little bourbon to it and then drizzle it on top of persimmon ice cream or gelato, so you have a little more depth of flavor. Add some toasted sesame seeds on top because they will really compeiment the flavor.”
