Author Notes
I'd never heard of leave alone seen or tasted a persimmon until I came to the US of A. My impression at first bite was.. EEEEWW, this is terrible and never could understand how such a beautiful colorful fruit could be so puckeringly tannic. (you see, no one told me about the ripening process for a Hachiya). It took me some time to overcome this first introduction and begin to appreciate its silky (perfectly ripened) mango like nuances with a flavor that reminded me of Chikoos (sapota) that I grew up with. I love them in Lassi's with a hint of chai spice and orange blossom water, but that is another recipe.
Pairing cloves with persimmons was purely random but i loved the way the spice complements the blood orange that boosts the vibrant color. (of the intermediate fruit blend). This striking crimson color pales into a beautiful salmon/peach tone when combined with the whipped cream. I prefer to use vegetarian friendly agar in lieu of gelatin since it tends to hold up better at higher temperatures —Panfusine
Ingredients
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3
Medium sized ripe Fuyu Persimmons
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1 cup
Whipping cream, chilled
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1/2 cup
Heavy cream
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2 1/2 - 3 tablespoons
sugar
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6-7
cloves lightly crushed
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2-3
cardamom pods (only seeds, very lightly crushed)
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few strands of saffron for color
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1 tablespoon
unflavored agar
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100 milliliters
water
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Juice of 1 blood orange
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pomegranate arils for garnish
Directions
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Peel the Fruits, cut up and puree the pulp. Strain and mix with the blood orange juice.
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Combine the heavy cream, cardamom, cloves, sugar and saffron in a heavy bottom pan. (add extra sugar as per your personal taste if you like the mousse sweet, I prefer the fruit to provide the sweetness along with is characteristic notes)) Gently heat and bring to a simmer (taking care not to let the mix boil) for about 10 minutes to infuse the spice. Strain and allow chill in the refrigerator. Once the spiced heavy cream has chilled enough, commence the next step.
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combine the unflavored agar flakes with the water in a pyrex cup and nuke for a minute until the agar completely dissolves. Strain to remove any 'blobs' of agar. Once the agar has cooled down slightly, whisk in the spiced cream.
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Add the whipping cream to a bowl. Using a hand mixer whip until it just begins to thicken. Add the spiced agar/cream mixture and whip on a high setting until you start seeing soft peaks begin to form. At this point add the blood orange persimmon puree and continue to whip until the mix reaches a mousse consistency. Spoon into serving cups and chill until set. Sprinkle the pomegranate arils as per your preference and serve.
A biomedical engineer/ neuroscientist by training, currently a mommy blogger on a quest for all things food - Indian Palate, Global perspective!
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