Persimmon Namasu (柿なます, Kaki Namasu)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Sharp knife or mandoline
• •Mixing bowls
• •Fine grater or citrus zester for yuzu peel

Instructions

1. 1

   Cut the vegetables

   Cut the daikon into fine matchsticks, about 5cm long, and cut the carrot a little finer. The carrot is denser and stronger, so thinner pieces keep it from bullying the bowl. Cut the persimmon to match the daikon and set it aside for now, since it does not need salting.

2. 2

   Salt the daikon

   Put the daikon and carrot in a bowl, sprinkle with 1 teaspoon fine sea salt, and toss lightly with your fingers. Leave them for 20 minutes, until they bend without snapping and a small pool of water collects at the bottom. The salt draws out excess water now, so the vinegar stays bright later.

   Do not skip the rest. Unsalted daikon waters down the dressing, and then cooks reach for more sugar or vinegar when the real problem was water.
3. 3

   Squeeze dry

   Gather the salted daikon and carrot in your hands and squeeze firmly but not cruelly. You want them dry enough to take the dressing, still crisp enough to spring back. Taste one shred. If it is sharply salty, rinse quickly under cold water, then squeeze again.

4. 4

   Make amazu

   In a clean bowl, stir together the rice vinegar, sugar, 1/4 teaspoon sea salt, and yuzu juice if using. This is amazu, sweet vinegar. Stir until the sugar dissolves fully, because grains left in the bowl make the seasoning uneven and fussy for no good reason.

5. 5

   Dress and rest

   Add the squeezed daikon and carrot to the amazu and toss gently. Fold in the persimmon last so the pieces keep their clean edges. Let the namasu rest 15 to 30 minutes, turning once, so the vinegar seasons the vegetables without stealing the fruit's shape.

6. 6

   Finish the bowl

   Lift the namasu from the excess dressing and mound it lightly in a small bowl. Scatter with toasted sesame and a few threads of yuzu peel if you have them. Serve cool or at room temperature, not swimming. This is a vinegared dish, not a soup.

Chef Tips

• •Choose Fuyu persimmons that feel heavy and give only slightly near the stem. Hachiya persimmons are lovely when fully soft, but that softness belongs elsewhere; here they turn the namasu cloudy.
• •A mandoline makes quick work of the daikon, but a knife gives cleaner faces if you keep your hand steady. Either way, aim for even shreds so the salt and vinegar reach everything at the same pace.
• •Make the dressing clear and modest. If the persimmon is truly ripe, you need less sugar than you think. Let the fruit do its own speaking.
• •For a holiday tray, drain the namasu well before serving. Osechi dishes sit together, and a wet namasu wanders into its neighbors. Nothing good comes from a migrating vinegar puddle.

Advance Preparation

• •The daikon and carrot can be salted, squeezed, and dressed up to 6 hours ahead, then kept covered in the refrigerator.
• •Fold in the persimmon no more than 1 hour before serving so it keeps its shape and clean color.
• •Leftovers keep 1 day refrigerated, though the daikon softens and the persimmon gives more sweetness to the dressing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 150g)