Out With the Old In With The New
The holidays are upon us, so I plan on supplying you with the most delicious recipes for your holiday menu. I always found it a bit difficult to differentiate Thanksgiving foods from Christmas foods. Thanksgiving is only a month before Christmas and they’re both holidays that consist of hearty, cozy dishes. I always played into the themes of heavy and creamy dishes, but I’ve recently found myself a little bored with the traditional items. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good mac and cheese and casserole, but I think it’s time to switch it up a bit. So today I’m introducing my Persimmon Burrata Salad!
This Persimmon Burrata Salad is such an easy and quick appetizer or side dish to make for the holidays. We have fresh persimmons and burrata served with honey sesame almonds, mint leaves, and a cranberry pepper jelly dressing! This dish has a bit of an Asian fusion flair to it because the cranberry dressing is actually inspired by a Vietnamese Sauce called Nuoc Cham. With that, I decided to play into the Asian fusion aspect by using persimmons and honey sesame almonds. I will admit that the fusion of flavors make this dish a bit unconventional, but trust me it works! I wanted to bring something new to the table this year, and I feel like this Persimmon Burrata Salad is exactly what I’ve been looking for. It’s still festive with the cranberries but is also a fresh and a lighter take on the holidays.
Nuoc Cham Knowledge
First, we’ll start with making the Cranberry Pepper Jelly Dressing. As previously mentioned, this dressing is inspired by a Vietnamese sauce called nuoc cham. Nuoc cham is typically made out of water, sugar, lime juice, garlic, and chilies. It’s sweet, salty, umami, tangy, and can be a tid bit spicy. Nuoc Cham is commonly served with salads, egg rolls, and rice rolls. It does such a good job of complimenting both light and heavy foods because it enhances fresh flavors but also cuts through fat. So I thought a nuoc cham inspired dressing would be the perfect balance of flavors and fusion. It enhances the freshness of the mint and persimmons while contrasting the creaminess of the burrata.
Combine the hot and sweet pepper jelly, fish sauce, apple cider vinegar, and lime juice in a bowl. Mix in the sliced cranberries and let it sit for 10 minutes to allow the cranberries to macerate in the dressing. Cranberries are the perfect addition because the tartness of the cranberries plays well with the sweet and tangy flavors of the dressing.
A Simple Surprise
If you thought it couldn’t get any easier, you’d be wrong. To assemble the salad, add the balls of burrata to the serving platter. Add the wedges of persimmon around the burrata then top with chopped honey sesame almonds and fresh mint leaves. Lightly drizzle on some olive oil then evenly pour the dressing over top. Finish with flaky salt and enjoy!
This Persimmon Burrata Salad is the perfect side dish or appetizer to make for the holidays if you’re also looking to make something a little outside of the box. While it is so simple and easy to make, it’s packed with flavor! The persimmons are subtlety sweet but the cranberry pepper jelly dressing helps to amplify the sweetness and juiciness. I also love the variety of texture from the crunch of the honey sesame almonds to the soft creaminess of the burrata. Serve this Persimmon Burrata Salad with your holiday feast and be prepared for it to surprise the crowd!
Persimmon Burrata Salad
Ingredients
For the Cranberry Pepper Jelly Dressing:
- 3 Tbsp Hot and Sweet Pepper Jelly
- 1½ Tbsp Fish Sauce
- 1½ Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
- Juice from 1 Lime
- 4 Tbsp Thinly Sliced Fresh Cranberries
For the Persimmon Burrata Salad:
- 4 Persimmons (cut into wedges)
- 8 oz Burrata (drained)
- 3 Tbsp Honey Sesame Almonds (roughly chopped)
- As Needed Olive Oil
- As Needed Salt and Pepper
- As Needed Fresh Mint Leaves
Instructions
For the Sweet Pepper Jelly Dressing:
- Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl. Allow the dressing to sit with the cranberries for 10 minutes.
For the Persimmon Burrata Salad:
- Place the balls of burrata onto the serving platter. Add the persimmon wedges around the burrata. Drizzle a little olive oil over top and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle on the honey sesame almonds then pour the prepared dressing over top. Garnish with fresh mint leaves and enjoy!
