The first time I tried a persimmon was not a memorable experience. It looked so tasty with it’s bright orange skin, but it was nasty! I bit into it and almost immediately spat it out. My mouth was filled with this chalky taste and my tongue was covered with a tacky film. Obviously I had chosen to pop my persimmon-eating cherry with the variety that needs to be really ripe, almost to the point of being squishy, before it can be eaten.
Box of Persimons from Spain
Fast forward to a couple of weeks ago when a box of persimmons from Spain was delivered to my door. The difference between these and the ones that almost scarred me for life, was that these didn’t need to sit on my kitchen counter to ripen for a couple of weeks before being consumed. The Spanish Persimon® is grown in the Ribera del Xúquer Valley near Valencia. Imagine taking a bite of a ripe mango and a juicy peach, are your tastebuds getting excited? Well that’s almost exactly how the bright orange flesh tastes, and what’s even better is that you don’t have to wait for it to ripen.
This fruit is held in such high regard in Spain, that the Spanish government bestowed a Denomination of Origin (D.O.) designation upon this variety (yep, it’s a big deal). This D.O. guarantees exceptional quality standards and, is recognized by the European Union. In fact, this Persimon® is the only trademarked persimmon in the world!
Are they worth seeking out? Hell yes! They usually begin arriving in Canada in mid-October and are available through January, and sometimes into February. After eating my way through half the box I decided to head over to the recipe page of the Persimon® website to see how else I can use this amazing fruit. After going through most of the recipes I eventually settled on the Poached Salmon with Persimon® Lime Salsa recipe.
The finished dish – Poached Salmon with Persimon® Lime Salsa
If you do end up making one of these amazing dishes please let me know in the comments section below. Here’s some more exciting news from the fine folks from Persimon®: They are currently running a contest where you can win a trip to Spain!
Grand prize includes:
- Roundtrip charter airfare for two (2) to Spain from the closest available gateway offered by D.O. Kaki Ribera del Xúquer.
- Accommodations for two (2) for seven (7) nights at a 4-Star Hotel, located in downtown Valencia, based on single room double occupancy.
- Breakfasts for 7 days for 2 people.
- Transfers in destination country (From and to Airport /Hotel only)
- Taxes are included.
Ingredients
For the salmon:
- 1 cup (250 ml) vegetable or fish stock
- 1 cup (250 ml) water
- ½ (125 ml) cup white wine
- ¼ cup (60 ml) soy sauce
- 4 slices ginger
- 4 (24 oz/750 g total) salmon filets
- 2 cups (500 ml) cooked brown rice
For the lime salsa:
- 1 Persimon®, finely diced
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) lime juice
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) finely chopped parsley
- 1 tsp (5 ml) lime zest
- 1 tsp (5 ml) olive oil
- ½ tsp (2 ml) chili sauce
- ½ tsp (2 ml) grated ginger
Instructions
Salmon:
- In a large deep skillet, combine stock, water, wine, soy sauce and ginger and bring to a simmer.
- Add salmon and cover, reducing heat to low.
- Poach salmon for 10 minutes turning once until cooked through.
Salsa:
- Combine Persimon®, lime juice, parsley, zest, oil, chili sauce and ginger
To serve
- Top the salmon with a generous serving of the Persimon® lime salsa and serve with a side of the brown rice
Disclosure – I did receive a box of Persimon® persimmons and a gift card to purchase the ingredients for my recipe, however all thoughts and opinions expressed on this blog are honest and my own.
