Prosciutto e Melone

Two ingredients, where everything depends on choosing and slicing them.

Pork. Not vegetarian — contains pork.

Ingredients

• 1 ripe cantaloupe or Charentais melon
• 200 g prosciutto crudo, sliced very thinly
• black pepper, optional

Method

1. There is no cooking in this and nothing to hide behind, so the whole recipe is choosing and cutting.
2. CHOOSE THE MELON BY WEIGHT AND SMELL: heavy for its size, and fragrant at the stem end. A melon that smells of nothing through the skin will taste of nothing on the plate, and no amount of good ham rescues it.
3. Chill the melon but not to the point of cold. Fridge-cold fruit tastes of much less — half an hour out before serving.
4. Cut it in half, scoop the seeds, and slice into wedges, then cut the skin away from each wedge with a knife.
5. HAVE THE PROSCIUTTO SLICED TO ORDER AND USE IT THE SAME DAY. Pre-packed slices are cut thicker and dry at the edges, and at this thickness the difference is the dish.
6. Lay the slices loosely over or beside the melon — DRAPED, not wrapped tight. Air between the folds is what lets the fat soften and the ham taste of itself.
7. Serve within ten minutes of assembling, at room temperature, with pepper if you like. No oil, no vinegar, no mint.

Our own recipe. This one was written for this site rather than taken from anywhere, so there is no source to point you at. The quantities and the order of the steps are choices, not the only way to do it.

Filed under Italy · All recipes