Persimmon Shira-ae with Sunflower Furikake
I think of Fuyu persimmons as a cross between a nice crisp apple and a spiced pumpkin. They transport me to a red leaf maple walkway in the countryside of Japan whenever I bite into one. When I visit Japan in the fall, persimmons are literally everywhere — growing on every hillside, piled high in every marketplace, featured on the menus of restaurants like Kuruha and Norabo, hanging to dry outside many homes — even on the covers of glossy magazines! Fuyu persimmons also grow in Central Texas, but they have a shorter growing season, so if you see them, act fast.
Persimmon Shira-ae with Sunflower Furikake
This is a unique take on a traditional shira-ae salad. Instead of leaving the tofu in the dressing chunky, I emulsify it in a high powered blender with hydrated sunflower seeds and olive oil for a delightfully creamy outcome. Also, typically shira-ae salad is presented in a homestyle manner with the dressing coating the fruit, but depending on your mood, you can adjust the presentation for a more striking & elevated appearance with the fruit layered atop the dressing. Both ways are equally delicious!
Yield: 6 serving (3 cups)
Ingredients
3 cups Fuyu Persimmon (1 lb)
1/3 cup Whipped Shira-ae Dressing (100g)
2 Tbsp Sunflower Furikake (30g)
Instructions
Prep Shira-ae Dressing and Sunflower Furikake. See sub recipes below.
Destem and slice persimmons.
To plate each serving individually, dollop a heaping tablespoon of Shira-ae Dressing on the bottom of a small plate and fan out a 1/2 cup of persimmon slices on top. Garnish each serving with a teaspoon of Sunflower Furikake.
- OR-
To serve family-style, simple toss all the persimmons in Shira-ae Dressing to coat evenly and garnish with Sunflower Furikake.
Whipped Shira-ae Dressing
Since shira-ae is a mellow dressing with subtle flavors, the olive oil really comes through, so using a good quality olive oil in this recipe makes a big difference.
NOTE: It’s important to use a high-powered blender in order to achieve the desired consistency. In a standard 2qt blender, this is the smallest batch possible since — if you use any less product — the blade will not be able to catch properly. If you have leftover dressing, it will keep well in the fridge for a week. If you get creative and use it with other fruits and vegetables, I’d love to hear about it!
Yield: 1 1/2 cup (320g)
Serving Size: 1 1/2 Tbsp
Servings: ~16
Ingredients
1/4 cup sunflower seeds (36g dry = 57g hydrated)
2 Tbsp sesame seeds, toasted (15g)
250g soft tofu, drained (~half a 14oz block)
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil (30g)
2 Tbsp white miso (36g)
1 Tbsp mirin (21g)
1 tsp honey (7g)
1/4 tsp salt (2g)
Instructions
PREP SEEDS
In a small saucepan, cover sunflower seeds with water and bring to a boil. Once boiling, cut the heat and let them continue to soak in hot water for 5 minutes. Then rinse with cool water in a fine mesh colander until the water runs clear.
Meanwhile, toast sesame seeds in a dry skillet just until aromatic and golden. Set aside to let cool.
BLEND DRESSING
Whirl the toasted sesame around in the blender first to grind them up before adding the rest of the ingredients. Add hydrated sunflower seeds, drained tofu, olive oil, miso, mirin, honey and salt to the blender and run until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed to make sure all the sunflower seeds get incorporated.
STORE & SERVE
Spoon dressing into a mason jar and store in the refrigerator. * If need be, you can use the sauce immediately, but I think it’s even better if you allow it to stiffen up in the fridge before serving.
Sunflower Furikake
Furikake is a dry Japanese condiment that is liberally sprinkled on top of cooked rice and vegetables. You can find many different varieties of furikake at Asian markets — each with their own unique combination of dried fish, sesame seeds, chopped seaweed, sugar and salt.
This homemade furikake is made with just two ingredients, and it’s so simple that you may be tempted to overlook it. But in my opinion, it makes the Persimmon Shira-ae sing by balancing the creaminess of the dressing and the suppleness of the fruit with its pronounced umami crunch. I activate sunflower seeds by hydrating them overnight, then I bake them at a low temperature with a dash of tamari to reach plump golden crispy perfection.
Yield: 1 cup (135g)
Servings: ~ 16 - 24
Ingredients
1 cup sunflower seeds (140g)
2 tsp tamari (20g)
Instructions
Soak Seeds
In a mixing bowl, cover sunflower seeds with plenty of water, about three times the volume of the seeds, and let soak overnight, or at least 4 hours.
Season & Bake Seeds
Toss hydrated sunflower seeds with tamari and spread out on a sheet tray. Bake at 250 F for about an hour, until crisp and golden. Check halfway through baking and rotate pan, as needed.
PARTIALLY GRIND Seeds
Once the pan is cool enough to handle, use a sturdy spatula to free the seeds from the pan. Grind half of the sunflower seeds in a food processor. Fold in whole sunflower seeds, pulsing once or twice just to incorporate.
STORE & SERVE
Transfer to a sealed glass jar. Serve atop Persimmon Shira-ae and anything else that would benefit from a salty, crunchy finish.