fbpx

Salt & Wind Travel

Fried Sage and Goat Cheese Persimmon Starter

During the holiday season, we keep this quick Fried Sage and Goat Cheese Persimmon Appetizer Recipe in heavy rotation because it’s sweet-salty perfection. The combination of fuyu persimmons, fried sage, and fresh goat cheese (aka chèvre) brings all the fall flavors and is a shoo-in for a holiday party. Also, it is so easy to put together it’s anything but stressful.

Fried Sage and Goat Cheese Persimmon Appetizer Recipe

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

We tapped one of our favorite food friends, Lillian Kang, for this recipe. Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, Lillian’s food always focuses on seasonal, local flavors with a modern, elegant take. Thanks to her career as a recipe developer and food stylist (she tested and styled Keys To The Kitchen!), she knows what works and doesn’t work for the home cook.

Translation? She knows the importance of easy appetizer recipes during the holiday time of year, and this Fried Sage and Goat Cheese Persimmon Appetizer Recipe doesn’t disappoint. 

Recipe Ingredients

These are the ingredients that you’ll ned to make this recipe:

  • extra-virgin olive oil
  • small fresh sage leaves
  • medium ripe Fuyu persimmons
  • fresh goat cheese (aka chèvre) crumbled
  • sea salt for garnish

How To Make This Recipe

These are the instructions that you’ll need to follow to make this recipe:

  • Fry The Sage Leaves: Line a plate with paper towels. Heat the oil in a small frying pan over medium-high heat. When the oil shimmers, add 5 to 6 leaves and fry until crisp, about 15 seconds.
    Using tongs or a slotted spoon, remove leaves and drain on a paper towel-lined plate, sprinkle with flaky salt, and set aside. Repeat to fry all the sage.
  • Assemble The Persimmon Bites: Trim the ends of each persimmon then carefully slice it into 6 (1/8-inch) thick rounds. Arrange persimmon slices on a serving platter then crumble the goat cheese across the slices, and garnish with some fried sage, a drizzle of the frying oil, and a pinch of sea salt and serve.

About This Easy Persimmon Appetizer

This easy persimmon appetizer makes a great addition to a cocktail party, a holiday gathering, or Thanksgiving. This savory persimmon recipe has ripe fruit, fried sage leaves, fresh goat cheese (aka chevre), olive oil, and flaky salt. Combining the fried sage with the crumbled goat cheese and crisp persimmon gives it great texture and even better flavor. These tasty bites are made with only five ingredients, but they bring the flavor so you can add it to your arsenal of quick appetizers that make a good impression. 

A few of our favorite combinations of flavors with persimmons include balsamic vinegar, prosciutto, hot honey, and tangy cheese (like we’ve used in these goat cheese bites). But before we go any further, let’s dive into the specifics of persimmons.

Ripe Fuyu Persimmons

Types of Persimmons

You’ll see persimmons at your farmers market or grocery store during the fall. In California, we get persimmons in the market from mid-October through December, which means they appear on our tables from Halloween to Thanksgiving and New Year’s.

Depending on the variety of persimmon, you’ll want to treat them differently.  The two main varieties of persimmons in the United States are hachiya and fuyu. Fuyu persimmons are shaped squat and rounded like a tomato and are best eaten firm. We remember this because Fuyu and firm both start with “f!” Meanwhile, the Hachiya is a larger, teardrop-shaped persimmon that is very soft when ripe (think an overripe banana or avocado). 

How To Tell When A Persimmon Is Ripe

When you buy persimmons at the store, they likely will need to ripen further. To do so, leave them on your kitchen counter. The fuyu persimmon will be dark orange with no green (but still firm) when ripe, while the Hachiya persimmon will be very soft to the touch.

An unripe Hachiya persimmon has an astringent flavor, so let it fully ripen. You can store them in the refrigerator once ripe to extend their life. We like to eat Hachiya persimmon pulp right from the fruit or freeze the fruit and eat the pulp like an easy sorbet.

What Does A Persimmon Taste Like? 

When we serve the recipe, we often get asked what persimmon tastes like. The Fuyu persimmon has an interesting flavor that reminds me of maple syrup and pumpkin with the crunch or apple, while the hachiya has more of a honeyed flavor. The flavor is subtle, so you don’t want to overwhelm them.

While fuyu persimmons are often used for persimmon crostini, persimmon salsa, or a persimmon salad recipe, the Hachiya persimmon pulp is used to make persimmon jam, persimmon muffins, or persimmon pudding.

Sliced Ripe Fuyu Persimmon

How To Cut A Persimmon

If you’re wondering how to cut a persimmon, the easiest way is with a sharp paring knife. The fuyu persimmon (the firm one) can be cut into wedges like an apple or sliced into rounds like a tomato for a sandwich. The Hachiya persimmon will be really soft when ripe so you’ll simply cut off the top with a sharp knife and then scoop out the pulp and proceed as called for in the recipe you’re using. 

Placing fried sage leaves on a persimmon appetizer

How To Store Fresh Sage

​One of the best ways to store fresh sage (or any fresh herbs, for that matter) is with an herb keeper like this one from Cole & Mason. We keep all our herbs in water in this, and they last significantly longer than any other method. If you’re in a pinch, you can wrap herbs in a paper towel and then put them in a resealable bag in your produce drawer, but they still won’t last anywhere as long as you use this herb keeper. 

Speck-Wrapped Persimmons With Balsamic Honey Glaze Recipe
Fried Sage and Goat Cheese Persimmon Appetizer Recipe

Fried Sage and Goat Cheese Persimmon Appetizer Recipe

Look, entertaining can get stressful, which means easy but awesome appetizers are essential. During Fall, we keep these Fried Sage, Persimmon, and Goat Cheese Bites in heavy rotation because it's sweet-salty perfection and so easy to put together it's anything but stressful.
4.9 from 12 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings 24 bites
Calories 68 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 30 small fresh sage leaves
  • 4 medium ripe Fuyu persimmons
  • 4 ounces fresh goat cheese (aka chèvre) crumbled
  • Sea salt for garnish

Instructions
 

  • Fry The Sage Leaves: Line a plate with paper towels. Heat the oil in a small frying pan over medium-high heat. When the oil shimmers, add 5 to 6 leaves and fry until crisp, about 15 seconds.
    Using tongs or a slotted spoon, remove leaves and drain on a paper towel-lined plate, sprinkle with flaky salt, and set aside. Repeat to fry all the sage.
    TIP: Make the fried sage up to 2 days ahead. Store at room temperature in an airtight sealed container.
  • Assemble The Persimmon Bites: Trim the ends of each persimmon then carefully slice it into 6 (1/8-inch) thick rounds. Arrange persimmon slices on a serving platter then crumble the goat cheese across the slices, and garnish with some fried sage, a drizzle of the frying oil, and a pinch of sea salt and serve.

PERSONAL NOTES

Nutrition

Serving: 1servingCalories: 68kcalCarbohydrates: 9gProtein: 1gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.3gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 2mgSodium: 18mgPotassium: 88mgFiber: 0.004gSugar: 0.04gVitamin A: 49IUVitamin C: 18mgCalcium: 15mgIron: 1mg
Keyword easy appetizer, finger food, healthy appetizer, persimmon recipe
Tried this recipe?Mention @saltandwind or tag #swsociety!

Travel Planning Resources

This post may contain affiliate links. Please refer to our privacy policy.

About The Author
4.92 from 12 votes (12 ratings without comment)

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




TRAVEL SERVICES

We'll help you taste Italy Mexico California Hawaii Mexico France Spain the world

We specialize in food-focused experiences in the most interesting culinary regions of the world.

We host unique small group trips to California, Italy, and Mexico from Sicily to Oaxaca.

Our tailored-to-you trip planning services help you make the most of your trip.