Persimmon + Pomegranate Salad with Burrata + Pistachio Dukkah
Crisp slices of fuyu persimmons mingle with assertive greens, tart pomegranate arils, and toasty dukkah all coated in a nap of pomegranate molasses dressing sharpened with lemon and olive oil.
Prep Time: 20 minutesminutes
Total: 20 minutesminutes
Servings: 2large or 4 moderate servings
Ingredients
For the pistachio dukkah:
1/4cuppistachios, lightly toasted, cooled, and coarsely chopped
1tablespooncoriander seeds
1tablespoonsesame seeds (white or brown)
1teaspooncumin seeds
1/2teaspoonfennel seeds
1/2teaspoonblack peppercorns
1/2teaspoonflaky salt
For the dressing:
a few rasps of lemon zest
2-3tablespoonslemon juice
1tablespoonpomegranate molasses
1/4teaspoonsalt
1/4cupgood olive oil
For the salad:
2large (or 3 smaller)fuyu persimmons, ripe but firm
3-4cupssalad greens (I like equal amounts of radicchio, arugula, and little gems), washed and torn into large pieces
1ball of burrata (or fresh mozzarella)(8 ounces)
1/4cuppomegranate arils
small handful mint leaves, torn if large
Instructions
Make the dukkah:
In a medium-sized, heavy skillet, combine the coriander, sesame, cumin, and fennel. Toast over a medium-low flame, shaking the pan regularly until the seeds are golden and fragrant, a few minutes. Let cool completely. Pound the peppercorns in a mortar and pestle, then add the cooled seeds and grind coarsely. Stir in the pistachios and salt.
Make the dressing:
Combine the lemon zest, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, pomegranate molasses, salt, and olive oil in a smallish jar and shake to combine. Taste, adding more salt or lemon if you feel it needs it.
Make the salad:
In a large bowl, toss the greens with just enough dressing to coat them lightly. Lay them on a large platter and dot with burrata. Top with the sliced persimmons, pomegranate arils, mint, a drizzle of dressing, and a good sprinkling of dukkah. Serve with a knife and fork, passing extra dukkah at the table.
Notes
Salad inspired by Aida Mollenkamp, dukkah adapted from Super Natural Everyday.This salad looks elegant when laid out on a large platter and served with a knife and fork; alternatively, cut the persimmons into chunks and toss everything together in a large bowl, adding the burrata and dukkah at the end.Look for deep orange persimmons that have just a hint of give. Don't mistake squat fuyus, pictured here, for their hachiya counterparts; the latter must be squishy-soft to be edible and won't work well in a salad such as this. If you can't find persimmons, I think this would be lovely with apples or pears in their place. I like this salad with equal amounts of radicchio, arugula, and little gem lettuces, but feel free to use other chicories (such as treviso, endive, or frisee) and/or other greens.If you don't have pomegranate molasses on hand, just add a teaspoon or so of honey and a little more lemon juice in its place.This will make more dukkah than you'll need for the salad. It will keep airtight for a month or two and is excellent sprinkled over roasted vegetables, olive oil dipped bread, or hard boiled eggs.Nutritional values are based on one of two large servings.