Melon And Prosciutto With Strawberry Basil Granita Food

MELON AND PROSCIUTTO

Steps:

• Cut off the rind of the melon, then slice the melon into long wedges and put on a platter. Squeeze the lime juice over the melon and sprinkle with the pepper. Fold up the ham and arrange alongside the melon.

STRAWBERRIES WITH BASIL GRANITA

Steps:

• Make simple syrup: Combine the sugar and 1 cup water in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
• Bring 1 cup of the simple syrup, the juice and wine to a boil in a saucepan over high heat. Carefully transfer to a blender, add the basil and pulse until smooth (leave the filler cap off to let steam escape). Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into an 8-inch square metal pan. Freeze 3 to 4 hours, scraping the mixture with a fork every 20 minutes to make it slushy; freeze until ready to serve.
• Cut off the tops of the strawberries and trim the bottoms so that they sit upright. Using a small melon baller, scoop out the inside of each strawberry to make a small cup. Fill with a spoonful of the granita.
• Serve immediately.
• Recipe courtesy of Food Network Magazine

MELON WITH BASIL-LIME GRANITA

Steps:

• Bring water and 2/3 cup sugar to a boil in a small saucepan, stirring until sugar has dissolved, then simmer 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and cool completely in an ice bath, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.
• Purée syrup with basil and 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoon lime juice until smooth. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a 3-quart shallow nonreactive container, pressing on and then discarding solids.
• Freeze basil-lime syrup, stirring and crushing lumps with a fork every 30 minutes, until evenly frozen, about 2 hours.
• One hour before serving, cut melons into small wedges and peel. Combine in a large bowl. Whisk together remaining 2 tablespoon lime juice and 1 tablespoon sugar and pour over fruit. Let macerate, tossing occasionally, about 15 minutes.
• Scrape granita with a fork, crushing any lumps. Serve melon in shallow bowls, drizzled with melon liquid and topped with granita and mint.

MELON AND PROSCIUTTO APPETIZERS

Steps:

• Slice the melon on half.
• Remove the seeds and liquid with a big spoon.
• Slice the melon and cut of the crust (I prefer wider slices that can stand on a plate).
• Take slice of melon in one hand and slice of prosciutto in another and start to wrap prosciutto diagonally around melon.
• If your slices are short you can use two to cover the melon (at least the middle part).
• Place the wrapped melon slices on a plate or big platter and decorate with fresh basil leaves.
• Some people like to add freshly grated pepper or balsamic vinegar reduction. I like it plain.

SKEWERED MELON & PROSCIUTTO

Steps:

• Quarter and deseed the cantaloupe.
• Peel, then cut the flesh into about 40 bite-size chunks.
• Cut 12-14 slices prosciutto into 3 long strips each, then wrap a strip around each melon chunk.
• Secure with a cocktail stick.

PROSCIUTTO AND ROCKMELON (CANTALOUPE) WITH BALSAMIC GLAZE

Steps:

• Using a slicer, mandolin or vegetable peeler, slice the peeled rockmelon/cantaloupe into long ribbons and cut each slice of prosciutto into 3 long strips.
• Roll up the strips of rockmelon and arrange on plates and then roll up the strips of prociutto and place on the rockmelon.
• Drizzle the balsamic glaze and oil on the plates around the melon and sprinkle with pepper to serve.
• BALSAMIC GLAZE (reduced balsamic vinegar), if you cannot buy you can make it by putting 80ml (1/3 cup) balsamic vinegar in a small non-stick frypan and bring to a simmere over high heat and then reduce heat to medium-high and simmer for 3-5 minutes or until vinegar reduces and thickens and this will make 1 tablespoon of glaze and if it is too thick, jusst add a little more vinegar.

STARTERS & CANAPéS: MELON & PROSCIUTTO SKEWERS

Steps:

• Tear the prosciutto into thin strips.
• Thread the prosciutto and melon cubes onto cocktail skewers.
• Place on a serving platter of your choice and drizzle with Balsamic reduction (optional).
• Serve immediately (once the Balsamic reduction has been drizzled on top).

MELON GRANITA

Steps:

• Peel, halve, and seed melons; cut into chunks and place in medium-sized bowl, reserving ½ cup of the melon chunks in another small container.
• To the reserved ½ cup of melon, add 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice; toss to coat; cover and refrigerate.
• To remaining larger bowl of melon, add sugar, remaining lemon juice, lemon zest, allspice, pepper (if using) and nutmeg; toss to mix; cover and marinate melon in refrigerator for 2-12 hours.
• Strain juices from larger bowl of melon chunks into a small saucepan; bring to a boil over high heat and cook 1 minute; remove from heat and cool to room temperature.
• Combine marinated melon chunks and reduced juices in a food processor or blender; puree until smooth; pour into a bowl, cover, and chill for 2 hours.
• Pour pureed and chilled mixture into ice cream freezer and freeze according to manufacturer's directions; serve topped with reserved diced melon and fresh mint sprigs.
• NOTE: The name "granita" comes from a Spanish word meaning small grain or, by association, granular texture.

MELON AND PROSCIUTTO WITH STRAWBERRY BASIL GRANITA

Steps:

• Combine the strawberries, sugar, curry powder and sherry vinegar in a processor or blender and blend until smooth. Add the basil and process until finely minced. Transfer the mixture to a metal pan and place in the freezer. Freeze until mixture becomes a firm slush, mixing several times with a fork, about an hour. Heat a non-stick pan over medium high heat. Wrap the melon wedges with prosciutto. Melt the butter in the hot pan, add the melon wedges and saute each side until the prosciutto is browned. Remove the melon wedges and deglaze the pan with the lemon juice. To serve, put a small handful of mesclun greens on each of four plates. Place a melon wedge on top and drizzle the glaze from the pan over the greens. Divide the strawberry granita between the plates and serve.