Scrumptious Street

Persimmon Chutney with Grilled Swordfish

Persimmons are a unique and interesting fruit, and usually in season this time of year.  When fully ripe, they are mild yet complex.  Their flavor reminds me of a mango with a softness which takes the tang down to a hint of banana and notes of honey.  There are a couple of varieties, and each have their own uses and attributes.  I found a beautiful oblong bright orange Hachiya persimmon and knew it would become my next adventure.  The Hachiya, in particular, must be eaten when really ripe since their unripe flesh is extremely astringent and will drain a mouth of all its saliva instantly. There's a great blog posting about it here, and apparently persimmons don't "ripen" but "blet".  Have patience with the Hachiya persimmon and wait until they are a vivid orange, with no green or yellow and when you pick them up they are very heavy and slightly squishy.  If it feels like a tomato you would throw away, and if you squeeze it and think of thick sludge then it's ready and will be delicious.  Most of the persimmons you find in the store are very immature and picked nearly green (even though they may still look orange) so just wait and let them get to this point before you eat them.  It may take 3-4 days on the countertop or nearly two weeks in the refrigerator.

I started with the persimmon and realized that it would need some tartness, sharpness and some tanginess to make it come alive.  As I worked through thoughts of puddings, desserts, cookies and salads, each concept left me unimpressed and wanting flavors that pop into awareness.  "Then, it's a chutney!" my mind shouted.  Indeed.  I paired the chutney with a beautiful grilled swordfish steak and fregola salad.  It was a robust and intensely flavored meal yet still very healthy and satisfying.

Here's the Persimmon Chutney recipe, which yields about 1 1/2 cups.

Ingredients:
1 ripe Hachiya Persimmon, blanched, peeled and chopped
1/3 c. cider vinegar
1/4 c. chopped onion
1/2 Rome apple, peeled, cored, chopped (or any other sweet but firm apple)
1/4 c. golden raisins
1/4 c. sugar
1 valencia orange, cut in half to squeeze
1 tsp. minced candied ginger
1 tsp. orange zest
1/4 tsp. ground coriander
pinch ground cloves
1/2 tsp. fresh rosemary, chopped

Method:
Bring a pot of water to boil and blanch the persimmon for about 5 minutes, until the skin starts to wrinkle.  Remove the persimmon and let cool. Peel the persimmon by scraping the skin with the back of a knife, the peel should slide right off.  Chop the persimmon and set aside.

Combine all ingredients except persimmon into a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat.  Bring to a low boil, stirring frequently.  Reduce the heat and let the mixture thicken until nearly all the juice is gone, about 25-30 minutes.  Add the persimmon and simmer until tender and the chutney has come together into a chunky mixture, breaking up any large pieces of apple or onion as you go.  Simmer about 5 minutes more.  Remove from heat and cool completely before serving.  Cover and refrigerate any extra.

I prepared the swordfish by marinating in extra virgin olive oil, kosher salt, ground black pepper and orange zest.  I grilled about 8 minutes per side and served on a bed of greens with the persimmon chutney.  The sweet and tangy chutney was the perfect accent to the hearty, juicy and smoky fish.

Fresh and Bright Pomelo Salad

The weather in New York has been so balmy recently and since we're heading into prime citrus season in the Northern Hemisphere, it's no wonder that I recently wanted to create a bright, fresh and colorful salad.  Here's a look at my "Pomelo Salad with Avocado, Pomegranate and Smoked Salmon".

Doesn't it look like Spring? Alas, it is nearly December but it's been between 58˚ - 65˚F here for a few days now.  I saw the gorgeous pomelo at my greenmarket and once I imagined the tart, slightly grapefruit flavor the wheels of creation started turning in my head.  I picked up a few other ingredients, balancing tart with creamy, smoky with sweet.  I know many of us are feeling a little plump after last week and this may continue for the next month,  so please try this salad when you're needing to lighten things up a little in order to persevere through the holidays!

Ingredients:
Serves 2

1 large pomelo, sliced and segmented into the "supremes"
1 ripe avocado, pitted and diced
1/8 tsp. kosher salt
1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
3 oz. smoked fresh Nova salmon (or arctic char)
2 T. crème fraîche
1 lemon, sliced in half to squeeze the juice of each half at different times
1/4 tsp. fresh chives, minced plus more for garnish
3 tsp. pomegranate seeds plus more for garnish
1 bunch watercress or other delicate greens washed and drained dry
2 T. extra virgin olive oil

Method:
I used the pomelo itself for the "bowl" in the photo at top.  If you want to do it too, I sliced the pomelo in half, used a very sharp knife to cut around the edge between the pith and the fruit. I flipped the pomelo upside down and sliced off the rounded bottom to make it sit flat and reveal the pith.  I sliced enough pith away that I almost exposed the flesh.  Then, I pushed on the flesh from the bottom, which will pop the entire circle of flesh out the larger top half if your cuts around were deep and even enough.  If this doesn't work you can also use your knife to peel away the skin and pith and then scoop the flesh out with a grapefruit spoon. A grapefruit spoon is one of my favorite kitchen tools, I use it to scrape out not only citrus but squash seeds, bread  for making bread bowls and fibrous membranes of vegetables. After popping out the flesh of the pomelo, I segmented the sections into "supremes" by slicing between each segment to cut away the skin and pith.  You should only eat the juicy, pearly segments of pomelo, the pith and skin is more bitter than grapefruit.  Place the supremes into a medium bowl.

Next, slice the avocado in half lengthwise with a large knife and then twist the halves in opposite directions to separate.  Remove the pit by letting your knife drop onto the pit so it sticks and twisting the half-avocado.  The pit should remain stuck to your knife leaving you two separate halves.  Use a paring knife, gently hold the avocado in the palm of one hand to make cross-hatch patterns in the avocado flesh with your knife.  The skin is still on in this technique, it saves you from peeling the avocado, which often makes it dented and mushy.   Use a spoon to gently scrape the avocado away from its peel and add it into the bowl with the pomelo. Season with the kosher salt and black pepper and toss together.

Crumble the smoked salmon in a bowl and squeeze 1/2 the lemon over the fish and mix lightly.  Add the crème fraîche and toss.  Combine the fish mixture with the pomelo-avocado mixture in the first bowl, add the chives and pomegranate seeds and mix very gently.

In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, the other 1/2 lemon squeezed and pepper to taste.  Pour this vinaigrette over your salad greens, toss gently.  Place the greens on a salad plate and spoon the pomelo, avocado, fish and pomegranate salad on top or serve in the pomelo skin.  Garnish with a couple more pomegranate seeds and chives and serve.

We liked the smoked salmon, but it is a very strong flavor.  It would be more delicate and lovely with smoked arctic char since its meat tastes like a cross between salmon and trout, or even creamy prosciutto.

Halibut Poached in Vin Santo with Red Seedless Grapes and Tarragon

Poaching fish is such a fantastic way to infuse it with flavor while ensuring moistness and delicacy.
I often use this technique when I'm looking for a quick meal that doesn't sacrifice flavor or the sense of "dining" as opposed to "eating".  At Scrumptious Street, we definitely like to dine.  A big winner recently was Halibut Poached in Vin Santo with Red Seedless Grapes and Tarragon. 

In this recipe, you can really substitute many ideas or liquids, fruits or herbs.  The idea is really to combine something sweet and tasty with a little tartness and herbs for depth.  I like the way that sweet grapes work with tarragon that is slightly tart and reminiscent of just a hint of licorice (more on the nose than the palate). 

I must thank my dear friend, an Amazing Massage Therapist, for the inspiration of this recipe. I only wished she had been there with us to share it.  She came to visit us in our new home a couple of days before I made the fish.  She brought with her a delicious bottle of Felsina, Vin Santo Del Chianti Classico, 2005.  This is a very special sweet Italian dessert wine, which since the 14th century has been used as a gift of friendship and hospitality.  In bringing a bottle to our new home, she bestowed good wishes and grace upon us with the thoughtful gift.

When I brought home some fresh halibut steaks and plump, juicy red seedless grapes, I knew her wine would be the perfect way to infuse the fish with terrific flavor and sweetness.  Thanks, my friend, for the inspiration to create such a scrumptious meal.  Next time I make this, you will be at the table with us.

The recipe is here.
Ingredients:
Serves 2

3/4 c. vegetable stock or fish stock
1/2 c. sweet dessert wine (Vin Santo in my case)
3 T. fresh clementine juice
2 halibut fillets
1/8 tsp kosher salt
3 grinds black pepper
1/2 T. extra virgin olive oil
12 seedless red grapes, halved
2 T. unsalted butter
1 T. fresh tarragon, finely chopped

Method:
Add the stock, wine and clementine juice to a medium skillet on the stovetop and bring up to a very gentle simmer, so that the bubbles are just barely moving on the liquid.  Season the halibut with salt, pepper and olive oil, rubbing into flesh to distribute evenly.  Gently slide the halibut into the simmering liquid.  We're using a shallow-poach here, so that the liquid only comes about 2/3 the way up the height of the fish fillet.  Cover the pan and let the fish poach about 4 minutes.  Flip and cover again, letting the fish poach another 3 minutes or so.  You can tell it'd done when the fish is white rather than pink and the flesh can be flaked apart with the tines of a fork.  Remove the halibut and set aside, keeping warm.  Increase the heat on the sauce to near-boil and reduce the cooking liquids by at least half, for about 10 minutes.  When the sauce is thickened and intense, add in the grapes, butter, tarragon and swirl to melt and incorporate into the sauce.  Put the halibut on a plate and spoon the sauce over the fish.  Sprinkle with additional tarragon and serve immediately.

Orange Roughy and Cranberry Beans en Papillote

One of my favorite preparations for fish is to bake it in parchment paper following the method called "en papillote".  I learned this in a Techniques of Fish course I took a couple of years ago at the Institute of Culinary Education here in New York.  The fish is usually on a mound of vegetables and some kind of liquid and then tightly wrapped up in the paper to make a self-contained pouch.  The liquid may vary, but juice, wine, stock, liqueurs or aperitifs are all good choices.  The fish is steamed within the paper so unless you really mess up the temperature or time, it's always very moist and tender. 

There are endless ingredients and combinations with this method and once I became comfortable with it, I started really experimenting beyond the recipes I learned in class.  The most important aspects to remember are that you're  steaming instead of baking and therefore, you should take care to use many interesting flavors and herbs that will produce natural juices in addition to the liquid that you add. The fish will take on the flavor of what you steam it with so make sure it's not bland!  Practice in making the packet seal well is important too so if you've ever crimped pie dough it'll help you get it right.  I didn't take the time to take enough photos of the packaging steps, that's where I needed a photographic assistant. This link shows the basic steps.  If you have questions please comment on this post and I'll explain to everyone.

I prefer delicate, usually white fish en papillote; good choices are halibut, sea bass, sole and in this case  orange roughy.  I also built the idea and recipe around gorgeous cranberry beans from one of my market hunts. 

Since I'd never worked with cranberry beans before, it was fun to discover exactly how they changed properties, taste and texture throughout the stages.  As you can see, they are gorgoeus pink and white mottled beans and pods in the raw state.  Sadly, when cooked the become a dullish gray or white with a tinge of pink and lose their "spots".  Maybe they should be called fawn beans instead...

I blanched the beans first after tasting them raw-- very starchy, thick and bitter like a lima bean.  When they were blanched they had a more mushy texture, lost their vibrant pink and started to develop a nutty flavor.  I worked into the vegetable mixed from there, coming up with something that turned out quite delicious and balanced.

Here's the recipe to serve 4.

Ingredients:

For the vegetable base:
2 medium purple bell peppers (or red or yellow), thinly julienned
1 cup cranberry beans, blanched
2 leeks thinly sliced in rounds
1 orange, zested and juice freshly squeezed
1 lime, zested and juice freshly squeezed
2 T extra virgin olive oil
2 T tarragon, minced
sea salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper to taste

For the fish:
2 orange roughy fillets, each cut in half
2 T dry white wine
8 pats unsalted butter

Method:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Farenheit.  Place a baking sheet in oven.  Shell cranberry beans by removing from their pods, rinse well.  Bring a small pot of water to boiling, salt generously and add the beans to the water and blanch for 6-7 minutes until you test a bean and it's lost the raw flavor and is beginning to have a firm but yielding texture.  Drain and let cool.

In a medium bowl, combine the bell peppers, leeks, orange zest, lime zest, sea salt, pepper, olive oil and tarragon.  Mix gently with your hands.  When cranberry beans have finished and cooled, add them to the vegetables and let marinate for at least 15 minutes.

When oven is pre-heated, pull out four separate sheets of parchment paper that are large enough to encase one fillet when the paper is folded in half.  Cut each sheet into a large heart shape fold in half.  Open the fold (it should now look like a valentine's heart) and brush the inside of the parchment paper with olive oil using a pastry brush. Spread the vegetable mixture lengthwise near the fold in the paper, to match the size and length of the fillet.  Lay a fillet on top of the vegetables, sprinkle with 1/2 tablespoon white wine for each fillet.  Season with sea salt and ground pepper. 

Cut four small pats of butter and place them on top of the fillet.  Close the other half of the heart on top of the fish and vegetables.  Begin at the top or base of the heart and roll, fold and crimp around all the edges and seal the packet as you go along. 

Repeat entire filling and packaging process for each fillet.  Place packages on pre-heated baking sheet and bake for 9 minutes for thin fillets.  (You can bake up to 10 or 12 minutes for thicker fish.)

Remove packages from oven when done and serve immediately.  It is traditional to take them to the table still in paper.  Encourage the diners to make a small x in the top of the package to let the steam escape before cutting the paper completely open to reveal the fish inside.

The cranberry beans became absolutely delicious when prepared this way.  They were nutty, robust and lost all mushiness but become softer with still a nice mouth feel.  Think al dente pasta...it was a wonderful combination of moist, flaky fish, soft but al dente beans and cooked but crispy peppers.  Interesting and unique, it definitely was a hit with my guests too.

Avocado Crusted Tuna

My husband and I love sushi and Japanese food, but to me it's a very romantic and sensual meal so I rarely eat it alone.  Tonight, on my way home I was craving the bold flavors and textures of sushi or maki rolls but was feeling very creative and inspired to experiment a little.  I created a dish based upon some of the common flavors found in Japanese sushi bars but infused my own style and methods into the concepts. It is by no means truly Japanese; there are several Asian influences in this dish.  I started with high-quality sushi grade tuna but slathered it in spices and boldly seasoned avocado to make a "paste" and then seared it to form a crust on the outside.  Not only do I love bold flavors, but I like to compose dishes in a variety of contrasting textures.  I was very pleased with this brand-new method and dish.  It was slightly crunchy and then immediately creamy and spicy, ending in juicy and deeply flavored soft tuna.  To my palate and creative, playful nature the result was absolutely delightful.  It met the expectation I had of what I wanted in my mind, and was even slightly more intense than I imagined yet wonderfully balanced.  If you're not adventurous in your eating, this may not be for you...If any of you decide to try it out, let me know what you think.

Here's my recipe:
Serves 2
4 pieces tuna sashimi, high quality such as blue fin
1 large or 2 small fully ripe avocados
1/4 tsp. kosher salt *
1/8 tsp. chinese 5-spice powder * plus about 3-4 T for spice rub
1/8 tsp. wasabi paste *
4 T asian chili oil
pickled ginger, shredded daikon, black sesame seeds optional garnishes

* you can use more or less of these, to suit your palate-- TASTE it as you're making it. Also, the asian ingredients I can buy at local markets. If you have a hard time finding them, I've included links above that seem to be able to deliver straight to you.  Bear in mind, I haven't tried those online grocers, so I don't know about their reliability.

Method:
Halve and pit the avocados, slicing and scooping the ripe flesh into a bowl.  Add the kosher salt, 1/8 tsp. 5-spice powder and wasabi paste.  Use a fork and thoroughy mash the avocados into a smooth paste and thoroughly mix in the spices.  Taste and adjust seasonings to your liking.  Set aside.  Lay out a flat dish and add 3-4 tablespoons of the 5-spice powder.  Lay out a second flat dish and spoon the avocado mixture onto the dish.  (In this step, I used the style similar to battering or breading food.) Place each sashimi piece in the dish of 5-spice powder and coat thoroughly.  You are aiming for an evenly-covered piece of fish, and are creating a spice rub without massaging the meat.  Each piece looked like this photo .

After the fish has been dusted, move to the dish with the avocado paste and cover each piece of fish with the avocado.  I found that using a butterknife and spreading the avocado evenly on each piece of tuna worked best. 

Next, heat a skillet on your wonderful, amazing cooktop-- on medium in my case.  You want it hot enough to eventually create a good crusty shell. Add 2 Tablespoons of the spicy Asian chili oil and heat thoroughly, tilting and covering the pan.  Add the first batch of tuna, which should be four small pieces.  Sear the tuna 2 minutes, creating a nice golden brown crust and then flip.  Finish another 2 minutes on the second side.  Set aside and do the second batch of fish, the last four pieces.  Lay the fish out on a sushi platter and garnish with pickled ginger, shredded daikon (Japanese radish) and if you like, black sesame seeds.  Here's a shot with the sesame seeds.  I liked the presentation but wasn't crazy about the texture of them.

Give this recipe a try if you have the ingredients available and are feeling adventurous.  It was fun!