Baked Persimmons with Pomegranate Molasses
This very
simple dish is proving to be a real hit with everyone who tastes it. I have been
saying for some time now that if you don’t yet know pomegranate molasses, you
haven’t lived; the very distinctive tart fruit flavour complements so many
dishes, (including roasted beetroot segments, incidentally – simply drizzle a little molasses
over as they come out of the oven – sublime!).
Use Fuyu
persimmons that are softening –these are usually eaten as soon as they colour, and
are crisp, like an apple, but for this recipe they are sweeter when ripened a
little more. The butter gives a lovely
gloss and the syrup is both sweet and tart, a perfect foil to the fruit.
Serves
4-6
Suitable
for freezing. If using a wider dish, shorten the cooking time to suit.
1 kg
persimmons, peeled and sliced thinly
3 star
anise
3 Tbsp grated
palm sugar or brown sugar
3 Tbsp
pomegranate molasses
¼ cup
roughly chopped walnuts
30g
butter
Pre heat
oven to 180 C.
Place the
prepared persimmons in an 20cm round ovenproof dish, tucking the star anise
amongst the layers. Sprinkle with the palm or brown sugar and drizzle over the pomegranate
molasses. Top with the walnuts and dot with the butter.
Bake
uncovered for 45-55 minutes, or until the persimmons are well softened.
Serve
with vanilla ice cream, mascarpone or plain yoghurt (or salted caramel and cashew ice cream!).
