11 Apr2010
This is a classic Italian pairing of salty and unctuously rich prosciutto with sweet melon that is a favorite in the Marketman & Family household. It is incredibly easy to make and always pleases guests over for a casual Italian style meal. First purchase some good Prosciutto di Parma that is sliced painfully thin at your favorite delicatessen. We had the remnants of a whole prosciutto in our fridge, so we simply sliced this into a medium thick (our home electric slicer isn’t as good as a deli version), relatively small pieces. Next, I also sliced half of a peeled cantaloupe, using the electric slicer, making long thin arcs of melon.
Arrange these ingredients on a plate, alternating prosciutto and melon, until you have this visually arresting appetizer. Personally, I thought the balance of saltiness to sweetness was a bit off, and hence would recommend adding two thin slices of melon for every slice of prosciutto instead. I have featured this simple pairing before, here and here, so there are many ways to present these two ingredients…
If you can’t find a good melon, and have stunning chicos (they are in season now) instead, they make an interesting pairing with prosciutto as well, see here. Enjoy!
COMMENTS:
Eden says:
So, MM what was the secondi? or the rest of the Italian feast? Did you make panna cota too?
Apr 11, 2010 | 4:03 pm
Sam says:
Yummy! I had a whole cantaloupe sitting on the counter and some leftover prosciutto but somehow ended up wolfing down three rib-eye tacos with a salsa I made from grilled leftover toms and a few buds of fresh oregano..you inspire me nonetheless. I’ve been eating so much rice and need to reclaim my tummy, hence the tacos. I am on a losing streak, hahahahaha.. A dear friend is visiting Paris right now and had a craving for sweets and emailed asking for information, pronto! All I had to do was send him the links to your posts on some Paris’ sweet food haunts.. that should fix it. Have a great Sunday, MM!
Apr 11, 2010 | 5:49 pm
Ging says:
Like :-)
Apr 11, 2010 | 7:27 pm
sister says:
Squeeze of lime or lemon would be good, too on top of the melon and prosciutto.
Apr 11, 2010 | 8:34 pm
terrey says:
ill try this one, so easy! hehehe now, if only the malls would be opened tomorrow then i could get the prosciutto.
Apr 12, 2010 | 12:04 am
Sopa de Ganso says:
Marketman prefers italian prosciutto instead of spanish jamon serrano?
Apr 12, 2010 | 3:47 am
psychomom says:
have tried this using honeydew and like sister a squeeze of lime. very refreshing. sweet and savory. wonder if you add mint leaves, would that work?
Apr 12, 2010 | 4:07 am
Katrina says:
Hi MM, i saw this made by Giada De Laurentis and she did the same thing except that her’s were melon balls. Very interesting mix of texture and taste…
Apr 12, 2010 | 12:30 pm
odette says:
hi, could be a stupid question, and I don’t cook, so please bear with me…
if I buy the prosciutto from Santi’s, do I still have to cook them, or reheat in microwave oven, just just eat straight from the vacuum-sealed containers?
thanks!!!
Apr 14, 2010 | 10:25 pm
happyman says:
MM,
Instead of melon or cantaloupe try using mangga and avocado and if you like a little spice add a slice of jalapeno. And that my friend is a super tropical Italian wow.
Apr 16, 2010 | 8:12 pm