Fuyu Persimmon Salad
INGREDIENTS
¾ c. Tangerine or orange juice
½ 1. grated tangerine or orange peel
2 t. cornstarch
¼ Orange-flavor liquer (or tangerine or orange juice)
1 T. Lemon juice
4-6 firm ripe Fuyu-type persimmons (5-6 oz each)
¾ T. Pomegranate seeds
DIRECTIONS
1. In a 1 to 1½ quart pan, blend tangerine juice and peel with
cornstarch. Bring to boil, stirring, on high heat. Remove from heat and
add orange liquer and lemon juice. Use warm or cool; if made ahead,
cover and chill up until next day. Stir before serving.
2. Rinse persimmons. The peel is tender to eat, but you can peel
persimmons into "petals" if the fruit is at just the right stage or
ripeness for the skin to pull free rather easily. To test, cut a small
slash under stem end and pull gently. If skin tears, immerse fruit in
boiling water for 15 seconds and let stand until cool. Then test the
fruit again.
3. Set fruit stem end down on individual salad plates. Cut almost but
not quite through each persimmon, dividing it into 6 to 8 wedges. Then,
if you want to create a petal effect, slip the tip of a short sharp
knife under the skin at the apex of one of the wedge cuts. Gently pull
or cut peel free from top of fruit, then let it fall backward around
fruit. Repeat for remaining wedges to complete the petal pattern. Spoon
the tangerine sauce equally onto persimmons and sprinkle with the
pomegranate seeds.
Makes 1 to 6 servings
