WARM FRISÉE SALAD
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
The Other “P” Word – Persimmons
Tis the season for persimmon. My friend, Emma, has a tree on her property and I got a few of the much misunderstood fruits for the gobble-gobble day. The Fuyu, which originated in Japan, offers novices a delicious and sweet fruit to add to cook- ies, puddings or almost anything. And of course here on Cali’s Central Coast, now is the time to have fun with this orange fruit. Have a wonderful and peaceful Thanksgiving holiday. And remember, we don’t get to pick our relatives.
Buno Appetito
WARM FRISÉE SALAD WITH PERSIMMON, PANCETTA AND PISTACHIOS
Ingredients:
Salad –
2 large heads frisée lettuce, cores removed, washed, dried, torn into bite size pieces
3 ripe Fuyu persimmons, peeled and cut crosswise
into thin disks
Vinaigrette –
2 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 cup Champagne vinegar
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 large shallot, finely minced
6 oz. pancetta bacon, diced
3/4 cup toasted pistachios
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to please your palette
Directions
In a medium-size bowl, place lettuce leaves and sliced persimmons and set aside. In a medium skillet over medium heat, cook diced pancetta until nicely browned. Remove pancetta from skillet and set aside. Reserve 2 tablespoon of dripping in skillet. Add shallots to the pan and sauté about 2-minutes. Remove from heat, add the pistachios, mustard, champagne vinegar, olive oil (in a slow stream) and pancetta. Stir well. Salt and pepper to taste. Pour about half of the warm dressing over the frisée and persimmons; toss and serve. Place balance of the vinaigrette in a festive container on table to suit the taste of your guests.
Makes enough for 6
