sweet persimmon hobak jook {squash rice porridge}

get those persimmons while they’re still 99 cents a pound because persimmon season will be gone before we all know it! the last recipe i shared of persimmon galettes suggested to use unripened (not softened) fruit, but this twist on korean hobak jook uses persimmons and the recipe calls for the softest ripened fruit you have laying around.

and what exactly is hobak jook? hobak means squash and jook means a thicker glutinous soup, me thinks. and now i taught you two korean words! the traditional recipe probably uses a real pumpkin or a danhobak squash, but i sampled raw squashes (squashi??) at marché bio raspail and the butternut squash was the sweetest so i couldn’t resist…so butternut squash hobak jook it is. also, peep the post roast pic, do you see all hat oozy caramelization?

if you don’t know by now, i love everything about persimmons (aka kaki in french), so i thought that adding these ripened babies into the jook would make for the most divine autumn treat. and it basically was! i hope that you give this recipe a try because it’s probably the simplest and most error-proof recipe i can think of here on dear saturdays. actually, i just fact checked, and this is actually the second-most easiest thing you can make. the first is gim kale chips. it doesn’t require any special equipment and heck, you can even mash the persimmons up using your bare hands if you enjoy the feeling of oneness with your food.

i shared my hobak jook with my french tutor today (a second generation korean-french in paris, basically a unicorn, i think he estimated less than 100) and he loved it. he said it tasted just like his dad’s hobak jook, which i should receive as a high compliment because apparently his dad is a pro cook who even makes his own kimchi. score!

this is probably the last post i write in paris before heading to the states for thanksgiving, but stay tuned! more persimmon recipes (duh) and thanksgiving ideas are headed your way ;)

xo, christine

butternut squash persimmon hobak jook

ingredients

1 pound butternut squash

1/4 tablespoon kosher salt

2 ripened and softened persimmons

1/3 cup dried jujubes chopped + 1 boiled water

2 cups water

1 cup mini rice cakes

1 1/2 tablespoon rice flour + 3 tablespoon water

1 tablespoon honey

1/4 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

notes

• preheat oven to 400 degrees F

• cut butternut squash in half, sprinkle salt atop the surface of squash. place on a baking sheet and roast for 45 minutes

• remove skins from persimmons carefully. place in a small bowl and break down using a mortar and pestle or a wooden spoon as much as possible. remove any remaining fibrous clumps. set aside

• in a small bowl, place dried jujube dates and add boiling hot water to rehydrate the fruit. set aside

• once squash has cooked through, allow it to cool down and remove the seeds. scrape the flesh out from the skins using a spoon, place in a medium pot, add mashed persimmons and two cups of water, and give a good stir

• bring pot up to medium heat and simmer for 20 minutes stirring occasionally.

• after 20 minutes, add in rehydrated jujubes with its water, rice cakes, and honey. give a good stir. in a small bowl, dissolve rice flour in three tablespoons of water. add to the pot and give a few stirs. this should thicken the soup a bit.

• continue to stir until rice cakes are chewy and tender. serve with toasted sesame seeds or nuts!