Thin Slices of Fuyu Persimmon Help Make a Killer Amuse-Bouche
Persimmons are springing off their trees right about now. In yesterday's Chronicle, Janny Hu suggested uses for each of the commonly available commercial varieties currently in season -- that is, both the firm Fuyu and squishier Hachiyas: 
cbcastro/Flickr A Fuyu, photographed at Ferry Plaza.
[W]hile both are terrific eaten as is when ripe, they have very different culinary uses. Hachiyas are luscious in baked goods, with their sweet, jelly-like pulp. Fuyus have an apple-like crunch and are great in salads or atop desserts.
Not to get all Paula Deen on you, but we're a little proud of a persimmon-y amuse-bouche we devised early Thanksgiving morning. As we gulped down the first of the day's many cold beers, we crisped small, uneven slices of country ham in a skillet, blanched some kale torn up into squares, and then used a mandoline to sheer off very thin circles of Fuyu perismmon, which we subsequently cut into quarters. We made short stacks, alternating kale squares with persimmon triangles, ham pieces book-ending each, so the little parcels could be easily picked up and popped into gaping mouths. We added black pepper and restrained droplets of a stellar balsamic. They were quite fine with champagne and watermelon radishes with coarse sea salt.
Persimmons are winners -- and not just because of the name's strong resemblance to that of certain blogger. They might even be good fried, we think.
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