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Bresaola and Persimmons

(recipe, Kathleen Bauer)

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Introduction

Serve this dish — adapted by Luan Schooler of Foster & Dobbs from The Zuni Café Cookbook — as an easy but elegant appetizer.

Ingredients

1. 1 medium Fuyu persimmon
2. 5 to 6 oz. thinly sliced bresaola (Italian dried beef available at most specialty groceries and charcuteries)
3. 3 to 4 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
4. 2 to 3 Tbsp. good quality balsamic vinegar
5. 1 fennel bulb, trimmed (optional)

Steps

1. Carve out the stem end of the persimmon. Slice a thin wedge of the fruit and taste it. If you like the texture of the skin, leave as is; if not, peel the fruit. Cut the persimmon into very thin wedges, removing any larger seeds (if there are any).
2. Spread the meat and persimmon on a platter or plates, somewhat overlapping. Drizzle with oil and then finish with balsamic. If you are using the fennel, cut crosswise and then into thin sickles and scatter them over the plate. Don’t feel that you need to use the entire bulb.
3. A delicate sprinkling of fleur de sel and a couple of grinds of fresh black pepper will help all the flavors pop.

Note

Read more about persimmons in Kathleen Bauer's article about this fall fruit.