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

Shira-ae dates back to the 1600’s as a traditional Japanese preparation for crumbling tofu to make a sauce and tossing it with fruits and vegetables.

Shira (白) = white / Ae (和え) = dressed or tossed

Instead of crumbling the tofu, I like to emulsify it in a high-powered blender with hydrated sunflower seeds and olive oil for a delightfully creamy outcome. Also, as the name suggests, shira-ae is typically presented in a homestyle manner by tossing the fruit in the dressing, but you can elevate the presentation by layering the fruit 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

  1. Prep Shira-ae Dressing and Sunflower Furikake. See sub recipes below.

  2. Destem and slice persimmons.

  3. 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.

Leanne ValentiComment