Baked and Broiled Persimmons with Crème Fraîche

//Persimmon: A fruit in season between late September and December. They can be used in both sweet and savory dishes, or just enjoyed on their own.  There are two different varieties to choose from, Fuyu and Hachiya.  Fuyu are tomato shaped, sweeter, and you can eat them when they are still firm.  Hachiya are acorn shaped and need to be extremely ripe before eating.  If you eat a Hachiya persimmon before it is very soft it is chalky and astringent, like eating a cotton ball. I made this mistake once while I was throwing a dinner party, I heard a few people gagging and everybody was running to get water to relieve themselves from the awful sensation. Oops. Don’t worry, when it is ripe, it is delightful.  Leave them on the counter until ripe.  When they turn, store in fridge until ready to eat.

Baked and Broiled Persimmons with Crème Fraîche

Serves 4

4 Fuyu Persimmons

3 Tablespoons of My Local Honey  

1 teaspoon Cinnamon

½ teaspoon Ginger

zest of 1 lemon

1 cup hot water

2 Cinnamon Sticks

juice of 1 lemon

1 teaspoon vanilla

8 ounces of crème fraîche

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Cut persimmons in half, with skin on, and place cut-side up in a baking dish.  

Combine honey, cinnamon, ginger, lemon zest, and hot water together.  Mix until honey is fully dissolved.  Pour mixture over cut persimmons, throw in cinnamon sticks in baking dish, and cover baking dish with foil.  Place in oven and bake for about 30 minutes.

Turn oven onto high broil.  Remove foil and spoon excess honey-syrup back over the persimmons.  Broil until tops are nice and caramelized, around 5-10 minutes.   In the meantime, stir vanilla to crème fraîche.  

When the persimmons are done, remove from oven.  When you are ready to serve, plate persimmons and top with lemon juice, a spoonful of the crème fraîche and vanilla mixture, and any leftover honey syrup. Enjoy!