Cuisine
Grilled Watermelon Salad
English Cucumber, Heirloom Tomato, Feta
Cheese, Olives, Shallot Vinaigrette
Perfect for your next summer gathering,
this recipe makes 16 portions.
1 whole watermelon, red seedless
5 english cucumbers, peeled cut in 1” rounds
8 heirloom tomatoes, ends removed
and quartered
32 ½ inch cubes feta cheese
2 cups black olives
10 shallots, unpeeled
1/4 cup sherry vinegar
3/4 cup olive oil
1 bunch thyme, chopped fine
1 shell mixed micro greens
For the Watermelon
Peel the watermelon and then square-off to
make a rectangle. Cut lengthwise into 1inch
thick blocks. From the 1inch blocks, cut
rectangles measuring 1 inch X 3 inches long.
Drizzle the watermelon with olive oil and then
season both sides with Salt and Pepper.
Grill cross hatch marks onto both sides
of the watermelon and then chill and hold
for finishing.
For the Cucumbers
Peel the cucumbers and then trim off the
ends. Cut the cucumber into 1 inch rounds
and then with either a small ring or knife,
cut out the seeded center, leaving the
cucumber rounds intact.
For the Heirloom Tomatoes
Cut the ends off of the tomatoes at the
stem end to make a flat surface. Next, cut
the tomatoes in 4 even quarters and reserve
for finishing.
For the Olives
Drain the olives and place on a plate lined
with a c-fold towel and then microwave on
50% power for 10 minutes, take out and turn
the olives and then repeat for another 10
minutes at 50% power. Do one more time to
ensure that the olives are completely dried
61
out. When the olives have cooled, transfer
to the Robot Coup and course grind to a
powder, hold for assembly.
For the Shallot Vinaigrette
Toss the shallots in a bowl with a little
oil, salt and pepper to coat. On a sheet pan
lined with foil, lay the shallots out and then
transfer to a hot oven to roast until very
tender and falling apart. Put the hot shallots
into a food mill and process the shallots
through the food mill leaving the skins behind
into a bowl. Add the vinegar to the shallots
and with a hand blender emulsify the oil
into the shallots and vinegar.
To Finish
Place 2 planks of the watermelon on the
plate, 2 pieces of the tomatoes, 3 rounds
of cucumber and 5 cubes of Feta cheese.
Place the micro greens in the holes of the
cucumber and drizzle all of the garniture with
the Shallot Vinaigrette. Top the cucumbers
with the olive oil and sprinkle some Maldon
Salt on the watermelon and tomatoes.