Persimmon, Goat cheese and Duck prosciutto Salad

Persimmon, Goat cheese, Walnut and Duck prosciutto Salad is a great fall appetizer, just in time for the Persimmon season. Those fruits are quite similar to tomato in looks, although firmer and drier, you can eat then raw, with or without the skin, dried or cooked. They are both, tomato and persimmon, considered a “berry” because of their morphology. Some type of Persimmons are sweeter, other more astringent, but their inside is always composed with a beautiful star form, when cut horizontally, making them perfect for a good looking salad bed. The persimmons should be still firm when you buy them, Hachiyas variety is a little longer then the Fuyu type which is more of a flat pumpkin shape. The Fuyu persimmon is the sweet one and you can easily eat it firm, while the Hachiyas (the long one) is best if you let it ripe a few days on the counter before consuming, to get rid off its astringency.

The other elements of this salad are a cured duck breast / duck prosciutto , walnuts, goat cheese and a spicy touch of red onion. In the center, I’ve added some juicy tomato and finish it up with a one of a kind balsamic vinegar and a touch of olive oil. I believe the flavours were spot on, although I do not usually add a protein (meat) to my salads, although in this case the duck prosciutto really helped to lift the sometimes too soft/sweet taste of the persimmons and also the goat cheese helped contrasting the persimmon.

For the dressing, I’ve used a really special old balsamic vinegar I found in Italy last summer. An aged in 3 differents types of wood essences vinegar which is sweet, thick and aromatic. So if you do not own an old balsamic vinegar you can also use a simple balsamic cream. The last but not the least touch is a freshly pressed, unfiltered olive oil, since it’s season in Spain (where I’m currently living). Simple and sweet dressing for a great mix of flavours underneath.

So let’s make this fall salad!

Persimmon, Goat cheese, Walnut and Duck Prosciutto Salad

Makes 2-4 portions | Preparation: 10 minutes | Difficulty: low

Ingredients

• Salad mix of your choice
• 1 persimmon (ripe but still firm)
• 1 tomato
• 1/4 red onion
• goat cheese
• walnuts
• Duck prosciutto (cured duck breast)
• Old balsamic vinegar, or balsamic cream
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Directions

1. Peel and cut the persimmon with a mandoline or knife, the thinnest cut, horizontally
2. Add the slices in circle in the bottom of a big plate
3. Add the tomato in the center, then the salad and finish it up with the rest of the ingredients
4. Drizzle with a good balsamic vinegar or cream, olive oil, salt and pepper

Enjoy!