Well, I did warn you! Persimmon is still flavour of the month for me, as long as the short season will last. Prawn and Persimmon Dumplings had to be on the list.
Persimmon is such an underrated fruit that’s a delicious alternative to mango and works a treat when you’re looking for that ‘hint’ of sweet in a savoury dish.
I love the principle of making from scratch but in this instance had a little helping hand with pre-made dumpling pastry rounds found in the chiller section of my local Asian grocery store. $3.50 gets you 50 sheets. The filling can be as cheap and cheerful or as decedent as you wish, but filling goes a long, long way so it works out to be a budget-friendly meal regardless of what your filling may be!
You’ll want these in your kitchen armoury: garlic shoots. They are the most tasty, glorious greens! A cross between – garlic, chives and spring onions, they are potent, crunchy and keep very well in the fridge.
The other is kaffir lime leaves. These innocent looking leaves pack a mighty flavoursome punch. If you don’t have a plant, buy one. If your neighbour has one in their backyard, smile nicely and they may kindly hand you a sprig or two. You’ll spot a kaffir lime due to its unusual leaf – it has a secondary leaf at the base, almost resembling an hour-glass (with a little imagination) and the fruit will look like undeveloped limes with particularly knobbly skin. The fruit itself is good for its zest, but the leaves at the winner here! They can keep for ages too in an air-tight container in the fridge.
Making from scratch does take time, so clear aside a good 30 minutes and the kitchen bend, and you’ll be away laughing.
Prawn & Persimmon Dumplings
Makes: 30
Ingredients
- 3 persimmon, ripe
- 1 cup prawn meat, raw
- 3 garlic shoots, finely chopped
- 1 chilli, deseeded and chopped
- 2 x kaffir lime leaves, chopped finely
- coriander, sprig
- 3 tsp fish sauce
- 2 tsp oyster sauce
- 1/8 tsp salt
- packet of dumpling sheets
- oil, to fry
- water, to steam
Method
- Top the persimmon to remove to sepal (flowery top), and cut away any rough or discoloured skin. Dice the flesh.
- Add persimmon, with the raw prawn meat, to a food processor. Don’t mix just yet.
- Finely chop garlic shoots, chilli, kaffir limes leaves and coriander, and along with the fish and oyster sauce add to the food processor, then salt. With much restrain, pulse a few times. While you want to ‘mince’ the prawns and the flavours together, there is still some appeal to keep recognisable chunks which helps with texture too.
- One at a time, dampen the edges of each dumpling round (or square) with wet fingers. It’s good to have a water bowl handy. Dollop a teaspoon of prawn filling into the middle of the pastry then use your fingers to pinch the top together – a little like a ‘money bag’ for the round dumplings or a miniature cornish pasty for the squares! Place on a plate until you are ready to cook them.
- Heat a large fry pan, drizzle some oil and once heated, place each dumpling in the pan. Allow each dumpling space, then after several minutes when one side has browned slightly, turn and continue to cook on the other side for several minutes.
- Add a cup (or two) of water until there is a 1cm or so of water in the bottom of the fry pan. This will completely depend on the size of your pan. Cover, and allow to steam. The water will evaporate and by the time that’s done, you’ll have cooked, piping hot and delicious dumplings.
- Serve hot.
I’m personally not a meat-eater, but persimmon would also compliment minced pork in a similar dumpling recipe.
Go crazy with dipping sauces: home-made plum sauce, worcestershire or soy sauce, or sweet chilli sauce taste delicious.
TO FREEZE: Only cook what you can eat and then freeze the rest uncooked. Place on a tray lined with baking paper and space out the dumplings so they don’t touch. Once frozen, they can be bundled into an air-tight container in the freezer and they become ‘free flow’. When you’re hungry, cook from frozen – allowing more time during the steaming process to ensure they are piping hot and cooked right through.
Enjoy!
