Fast & Fabulous: Grilled Cantaloupe with Prosciutto & Burrata!
Looking for a weeknight dinner that will satisfy your hunger yet is light enough to enjoy on a warm Summer night? This recipe for Grilled Cantaloupe with Prosciutto and Burrata definitely fits the bill! Ripe slices of sweet melon are wrapped in deliciously salty prosciutto and when they hit the grill - magic happens! Because this is a Fast & Fabulous recipe it only takes a minimum amount of time to prepare - hungry yet?While Summer is prime time for grilling outdoors there aren't many of us who relish the thought of waiting for food to cook over an open flame in 100 degree heat. That's why God (or was it Williams-Sonoma?) invented the grill pan! I love mine and it certainly makes weeknight grilling a feasible prospect. The grill pan also has the advantage of being non-stick so all that glorious char wipes off easily with soap and water and only a minimum of elbow grease.
Since this recipe only calls for a few ingredients, make sure they are of good quality. For instance, when selecting your cantaloupe, make sure it is ripe and ready to go. The melon should feel heavy in your hand and when sniffed, should smell like ripe melon. For the prosciutto, Prosciutto di Parma is a wonderful choice but other types of cured meat will work too. You need to make sure the meat is cut so it can wrap around the melon slices, Serrano ham would make a nice alternative. The Burrata cheese is the pièce de résistance of this dish. Burrata, which means "buttered" in Italian, is a fresh Italian cheese made from cream and mozzarella and if you haven't tried it yet, it is definitely worth seeking out! Nowadays it can usually be found at your local grocery store in the specialty cheese section. On the outside the cheese looks like a beautiful, glistening ball of fresh mozzarella but when you cut into it, it is filled with curds and fresh cream - sheer deliciousness! Garnish the dish with Maldon sea salt, freshly ground black pepper and a good quality olive oil and you are all set.If you're looking for something to sip with this Fast & Fabulous dish a rosé would be heavenly! A fruity, dry rosé like the Copain Tous Ensemble Rosé ($22) from California's Anderson Valley would be a wonderful choice. In addition to its lovely notes of red berries it also has a delightfully food-friendly acidity which will further enhance your enjoyment of this Summer-inspired dish.Cheers,
- 1 large ripe cantaloupe
- 1/2 lb thinly sliced prosciutto
- 4 balls of fresh burrata cheese
- Maldon sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Good olive oil
- Preheat an indoor grill pan or outdoor grill over med-high heat.
- Slice the cantaloupe in half lengthwise and using a spoon, remove the pulp and seeds from the center of each half. Remove the rind from each half of the melon and slice it into 1/2 inch thick wedges. Wrap each slice of melon with a generous piece of prosciutto.
- Once the pieces are wrapped, brush the grates of the grill with olive oil and lay the slices down on the grates and cook in batches for approximately 1 minute per side or to desired doneness.
- Plate the grilled melon slices with the burrata cheese. Season with Maldon salt and freshly ground black pepper the drizzle generously with the olive oil and serve!