Walking into Whole Foods the other day, the sweet fragrance of the melon display was bewitching. A beautiful Galia melon made it’s way home with me. I used one of my favorite cooking aids, The Flavor Bible, to come up with this recipe. It’s a twist on classic prosciutto-wrapped melon balls.
Reasons you should make this: only 4 or 5 ingredients needed, readily available ingredients, relatively inexpensive, different than the usual breakfast/brunch fare, great enhancement of in-season melon flavor, goes great with champagne or white wine.
Flavors and textures: sweet, moist, smooth from melon; salty, dry, crunchy from bacon; herbal and savory from cilantro; sour and hot if using pickled jalapeños.
Ingredients:
8 oz. uncooked bacon (sub. pancetta, salami, pepperoni)
1 medium/1 c. diced yellow onion
1 medium/4-6 cups balled Galia melon (sub. cantaloupe, honeydew, etc.)
1/3 cup of chopped cilantro (sub. oregano, basil, sage)
1/4 cup diced pickled jalapeño (optional)
Salt and pepper
Prep:
Place a large skillet on the stove but don’t turn on the burner yet!
Chop bacon into about 1/2 inch squares. Set aside.
Chop onion into 1/4 inch dice. Set aside.
Cut melon in half and remove seeds with a spoon.
Use melon baller to remove as much melon as possible from the shell. If you don’t have a melon baller, cut the melon half into about 2 inch wedges. Slice the rind off each wedge of melon, then cut the fruit part into 2 inch cubes. Set aside in a large bowl.
Remove leaves from cilantro stems, chop the leaves. Set aside.
Chop diced jalapeño (if using) into 1/8 inch dice. Set aside.
Cook:
Turn burner on stove to medium high. Wait a few minutes for pan to heat up.
Place bacon in pan, stirring frequently until it is VERY crispy but not burned.
Remove bacon from pan with slotted spoon. Place onto a paper towel-lined plate to absorb excess fat.
Pour off all but about 2 tablespoons of bacon grease from pan. Save extra grease in a container in the refrigerator for use in a future food creation!
Place diced onion in pan, stirring frequently until it is starting to brown on edges.
Transfer bacon, onion, and cilantro into bowl with melon. Toss to combine. If using jalapeño, add it now or offer it in a separate dish for guests to put on the melon if the wish.
If you want to make the meal really special, add some light, crisp white wine such as this cheap, yet delicious Leese-Fitch Sauvignon Blanc we drank:
Have you ever tried creating a recipe around one ingredient? How did you decide which flavors to combine?
Melon Bacon Brunch
Posted by Tabitha in Breakfast, Fruit, Main Dishes, Other Than Meat
Walking into Whole Foods the other day, the sweet fragrance of the melon display was bewitching. A beautiful Galia melon made it’s way home with me. I used one of my favorite cooking aids, The Flavor Bible, to come up with this recipe. It’s a twist on classic prosciutto-wrapped melon balls.
Reasons you should make this: only 4 or 5 ingredients needed, readily available ingredients, relatively inexpensive, different than the usual breakfast/brunch fare, great enhancement of in-season melon flavor, goes great with champagne or white wine.
Flavors and textures: sweet, moist, smooth from melon; salty, dry, crunchy from bacon; herbal and savory from cilantro; sour and hot if using pickled jalapeños.
Ingredients:
8 oz. uncooked bacon (sub. pancetta, salami, pepperoni)
1 medium/1 c. diced yellow onion
1 medium/4-6 cups balled Galia melon (sub. cantaloupe, honeydew, etc.)
1/3 cup of chopped cilantro (sub. oregano, basil, sage)
1/4 cup diced pickled jalapeño (optional)
Salt and pepper
Prep:
Place a large skillet on the stove but don’t turn on the burner yet!
Chop bacon into about 1/2 inch squares. Set aside.
Chop onion into 1/4 inch dice. Set aside.
Cut melon in half and remove seeds with a spoon.
Use melon baller to remove as much melon as possible from the shell. If you don’t have a melon baller, cut the melon half into about 2 inch wedges. Slice the rind off each wedge of melon, then cut the fruit part into 2 inch cubes. Set aside in a large bowl.
Remove leaves from cilantro stems, chop the leaves. Set aside.
Chop diced jalapeño (if using) into 1/8 inch dice. Set aside.
Cook:
Turn burner on stove to medium high. Wait a few minutes for pan to heat up.
Place bacon in pan, stirring frequently until it is VERY crispy but not burned.
Remove bacon from pan with slotted spoon. Place onto a paper towel-lined plate to absorb excess fat.
Pour off all but about 2 tablespoons of bacon grease from pan. Save extra grease in a container in the refrigerator for use in a future food creation!
Place diced onion in pan, stirring frequently until it is starting to brown on edges.
If you want to make the meal really special, add some light, crisp white wine such as this cheap, yet delicious Leese-Fitch Sauvignon Blanc we drank: