Persimmon Panna Cotta

Persimmons are naturally sweet and almost floral in flavor. They pair excellently with cream, which gave me this idea for persimmon panna cotta. I decided to go the vegan route and use coconut milk, because the coconut flavor combines with the persimmon to create a deep, almost nutty taste that, in my opinion, is better than milk. Agar agar is used to gel the mixture instead of the usual gelatin.

What You Need:
1 14-oz. (2 cups) can coconut milk
3 medium persimmons
2 tbps. agar agar
½ cup sugar

What to Do:
Persimmons can tend to be astringent when they are not ripe. So prevent your mouth from feeling fuzzy, blanch and peel them. This also gives them a smoother, silkier feel when we puree them. First step: bring a medium pot of water to boil. Cut an X in the bottom of each persimmon like you would with a tomato. Add the persimmons to the boiling water and cook for about 5 minutes, until you see significant cracks in the peels. Drain the persimmons and let cool for a few minutes before handling. When they are cool enough to touch, remove the thick outer skins. Cut the persimmons into chunks and puree in a blender. Add the coconut milk and sugar and blend until smooth.

Pour the mixture into a medium sized pot and whisk in the agar agar. Bring the mixture to a boil, whisking constantly. Reduce to simmer and keep whisking for another 7 to 10 minutes. Take of the heat and whisk until all of the agar agar has dissolved completely. Divide the mixture into ramekins and refrigerate for at least an hour before serving. Garnish with cranberry sauce.

For the cranberry sauce

What You Need:
12 ounces (about 1.5 cups) of cranberries
1 cup of sugar
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and chopped
1 orange, zested and juiced
1 lemon, zested and juiced
2 star anise
1 cinnamon stick

What to Do:
In a saucepan, bring the cranberries, sugar, star anise and cinnamon to simmer in about one cup of water. Cook for about 5 minutes. Add in the orange zest/juice and lemon zest and juice and cook for another 15 minutes. Remove the star anise and cinnamon and let cool before serving.