For Christmas, my wife’s grandma gave us ten pints of homemade applesauce! I know what you’re thinking…”I used to have apple sauce all the time as a kid. I’d take the foil lid off my Mott’s container, and eat it with my bagged lunch.” Well, I used to be one of you…until I tasted real apple sauce. Anyway, with our bounty of incredible apple sauce, we decided to try some fun experiments.
The idea for the first experiment came the other day when my wife came home with a big smile on her face. I asked if I was in trouble, and she said, “NO. I bought persimmons for you to cook!” Not wanting to let on that I was stumped, I acted excited…and then when she went into the other room, I went to Google to figure out what she had gotten me into. This is how I learned I was dealing with a fruit.
Next step was to wash it, cut it, and taste it. It was pretty sweet, but not overly powerful…so it seemed like a fun additive to apple sauce to use with Turkey. Last step was to add a little heat (gotta love that spicy/sweet combo), and that’s where the cayenne entered.
We served this with Butter Cabbage, but it would also go very well with mashed potatoes, Cauliflower Chestnut Stuffing, Mashed Parsnips, or any steamed or roasted green vegetable you like!
Time: 45-60 Minutes
Ingredients:
- Turkey Breast (we used half of one we had in our freezer)
- Apple Sauce (homemade if you have it)
- Persimmon
- Cayenne Pepper
Method:
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Put the lid of your Cast Iron Dutch Oven in the oven while it heats.
- Heat a Dutch Oven over medium heat, and when it’s hot, melt a little butter or pour in a little oil. Once the butter melts/oil heats, sear the turkey breast skin side down for about 7-8 minutes. Then, flip, and sear the other sides for another 3-4 minutes each.
- Put the hot lid on top of your Dutch Oven, and place it in the oven. It will probably need to cook for about 30 minutes depending on the thickness. After the initial 30 minutes, remove the lid, and cook so the skin can crisp.
- While your turkey breast cooks, wash and slice your persimmon, and add it to your Blender/Ninja with your apple sauce and cayenne. Puree.
- Pour your sauce into a sauce pan, and set aside.
- When your turkey reaches an internal cooked temperature of at least 165 degrees F, remove from the oven, transfer to a cutting board, and let sit for 5 minutes.
- While the turkey sits, heat your apple sauce concoction.
- After the sitting time, carefully slice your turkey breast, and then plate it, and top it off with your sauce.
- Devour, and enjoy!
