The first time I ever had that salad was in Jaffa, Israel. I still
remember the pleasant surprise of the sweetness and crunchiness of the watermelon
with the saltiness of the feta cheese. It’s a marriage made in heaven. It’s
also very easy to put together: cut the watermelon in chunks or slices and mix with feta cheese, kalamata olives, some basil leaves, and drizzle it with a good quality extra-virgin olive oil.
I made the salad for us to have as a starter before we headed for the meat
barbecue, which included juicy jerk chicken, Brian’s speciality. I was about to
use that salad as the focus of my post today, when my senses were assaulted by
the memory of a trip to the tropics (temperatures over 30 Celsius in London can
do that to you).
One of my favourite combinations of fruit and saltiness is pomelo salad,
a Southeast Asian dish. The dressing is sharp, tangy, spicy, and yet very
refreshing. Then, I decided to try and make it using watermelon instead, as I
can find it in every fruit and veg shop in my neighbourhood at the moment. And
I simply love it. My experiment worked! The first bite took me straight back to
Koh Samui. I hope you’ll also excite your taste buds.
Watermelon season. |
Cut the fruit in chunks or slices. |
Some of the ingredients for the dressing. |
Enjoy it as a starter or as side dish. |
Watermelon salad with Thai dressing
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
¼ of a big watermelon or a whole
small one, chilled
1 small cucumber, cut into slices
1 handful of roasted peanuts,
crushed
1 handful of fresh coriander leaves
For the dressing
Juice of 1 lime
Juice of half orange
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
1 Tablespoon fish sauce
1 teaspoon ginger, grated
1 small red chilli, chopped
1/2 teaspoon of maple syrup (Optional.
I prefer to omit it, as sometimes it can interfere with the sweetness of the
watermelon. For me, the dressing works better when it is slightly salty and sharp.
You can be your own judge. Try a small piece of the fruit before adding the
maple syrup).
Salt to taste
A drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil
Place all the fruits in a big bowl.
Mix all the dressing ingredients. Pour the dressing over the salad and mix
well. Sprinkle fresh coriander and the roasted peanuts on top. Serve immediately
as a starter or as a side to white fish, grilled prawns or barbecued pork
belly.
A healthy note: watermelon has a
high water content which makes it a great thirst quenching fruit. Watermelon
contains vitamin A and a compound called lycopene, which research has shown to
be associated with lower rates of prostate cancer.
Till next week!
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