The late autumn and early winter produce here is still looking good and Persimmons are one of those I just love to use during the holiday season. They are unique and delicious and provide a beautiful pop of orange color to dishes. I taste hints of banana and sometimes honey in them. Beware, however. These fruits can be awful if eaten unripe, whether the Fuyu or Hachiya variety. They are very astringent and puckery tart when unripe and will leave you feeling like your mouth and teeth have been scrubbed with chalk. Eat them when they feel heavy, are bright orange and the flesh springs back slightly when you probe it with your thumb. You don't want them hard but don't let them get to the point of mushy-soft. Thing of how a ripe, heavy tomato feels. That's a good start. Also make sure the stem-end is still green, you don't want to buy one that's gone black or dark brown on the ends. Here's a photo of my Fuyu persimmons, raw and ripely ready to eat.
I like to treat them simply, and let their sweetness work with savory and vegetable flavors. In this case, a simple sauté did the trick perfectly. I make variations of this green bean dish quite regularly, and always find something new to add or experiment with. Sometimes, it's for crunchy texture. Sometimes it's something for color, other times, it's for a powerful flavor. Or, a combination of these three elements will yield a new addition to my old stand-by. In this case, using the persimmons, I wanted sweetness and color. Unfortunately I wasn't able to photograph this as I wanted due to practical limitations. But trust me the final dish, though not too beautiful, sure was tasty! Here's my "Green Bean and Persimmon Sauté in a Brandy Cream Sauce."
Ingredients
Serves 4
1 lb. fresh green beans, washed, snipped and halved
3 T. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 lb. cremini mushrooms, cleaned and quartered
1 head celeriac,(another of my favorites) peeled and cut into small dice
3 fresh leeks, washed and minced
2 T. fresh thyme, minced
2 small fresh Persimmons, peeled and sliced thinly
1/4 c. brandy
1 - 1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 T. heavy cream
Method:
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and blanch green beans for 3 minutes, until they've just lost the raw taste but are still crunchy. Drain and rinse with very cold water.
2. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil to medium high and sauté the celeriac until it begins to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the cremini mushrooms and sauté until they turn a deep golden brown. Toss in the green beans and leeks and sauté until the beans begin to lose a little crunch and the leeks are softening but not yet brown.
3. Toss in the thyme and persimmons and heat through. Add the brandy to the pan and toss gently, stirring to mix ingredients together. Lower the heat to medium and let the vegetables cook another couple of minutes, until the brandy is cooked off and the beans have a good, firm al dente bite. Season with salt and pepper, tasting to adjust. Add the cream and cook until it's thickened 1-2 minutes more. Remove from heat and serve immediately.
Try this dish at your holiday table. I promise it won't disappoint you or your guests. It's delicious and memorable, a perfect special-occasion vegetable side dish. Happy Holidays!
I have been looking for a way to combine persimmon in my cooking and nothing seemed quite right - this seems perfect - the combination of persimmon and brandy is totaly complimentary.
Posted by: Merry | January 05, 2009 at 02:55 AM