Melon Gazpacho With Grilled Prawn Salad
Recipe by Derek Sawyer
Ingredients
For the Melon Gazpacho:
- 1 mini seedless watermelon, rind removed
- 1 summer melon, honeydew or cantaloupe recommended, rind removed
- ½ cucumber, peeled
- 2 Fresno chiles, deseeded
- 4 ice cubes
- 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ cup sherry vinegar
- Kosher salt, to taste, about 2 teaspoons
For the Grilled Prawn Salad:
- 4 U-12 tiger prawns, deveined and tailed
- Kosher salt, to taste
- 1 teaspoon canola oil
- ½ cucumber, peeled and chopped bite size
- 1 small shallot, diced
- 1 lime, zested and juiced
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Instructions
- For the gazpacho, add to blender the melons with seeds*, cucumber, and Fresno chiles. Blend to combine, then add the ice. Continue blending and begin slowly adding olive oil until it’s completely emulsified. Add sherry and salt, to taste**, blend until incorporated. Pass through a strainer, then chill in coldest part of refrigerator.
- To make the grilled prawn salad, lightly coat prawns with canola oil and a pinch of salt. Place them on a hot grill or in a sauté pan and flip after they turn golden brown (about 2 minutes on each side). Let prawns cool, then peel and chop to match chopped cucumber size. Add all ingredients to medium-size bowl, mix together. Add salt to preferred taste. Store in refrigerator until ready to serve.
- To serve, hand whisk the gazpacho, then use an 8-ounce ladle to spoon gazpacho into 4 chilled soup bowls. Re-mix the prawn salad, then spoon a ¼ portion into middle of each filled soup bowl. If desired, drizzle olive oil on soup surface around salad center, and sprinkle with smoked paprika.
Notes
*The seeds of the melon will be a natural thickener that adds body.
**Salt is a seasoning, meaning before it makes your product “salty,” it brightens it. Don’t be afraid to use it.
**Salt is a seasoning, meaning before it makes your product “salty,” it brightens it. Don’t be afraid to use it.