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Prosciutto and Cantaloupe on Slate

Counter 08 · Sausage & Charcuterie

Prosciutto and Cantaloupe on Slate

The classic Italian summer antipasto done right: ice-cold ripe cantaloupe wedges beside room-temperature prosciutto, finished with olive oil, cracked pepper and lemon zest.

4.6 1120 cooks rated this
Prep
15 min
Cook
0 min
Serves
4
Level
Easy
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Prosciutto e melone has been served across Italy for generations because salt and sweetness make each other taste bigger. Since there is no cooking, the whole dish depends on temperature and ripeness. The melon should be cold and fragrant; the ham should sit out for about 20 minutes so its fat softens and turns sweet instead of waxy. Choose a cantaloupe that feels heavy, has raised tan netting and smells musky at the stem end. A dark slate makes the colors pop and stays cool.

Method

  1. Keep the cantaloupe in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, but take the prosciutto out 20 minutes before serving so the fat softens.

  2. Halve the melon, scoop out the seeds and cut into 8 wedges. Run a knife between flesh and rind, leaving the flesh sitting in place on the rind so it is easy to eat.

  3. Peel the prosciutto slices off their parchment and drape them into loose ruffles rather than laying them flat.

  4. Fan the melon wedges along one side of a chilled slate or board and pile the prosciutto against them on the other side.

  5. Just before serving, drizzle the oil over the melon, then finish with cracked pepper, lemon zest, a pinch of flaky salt and a few drops of balsamic if you like.

Hand cutting a sausage into thin coins on a wooden board
Cutting a sausage into thin coins
Sliced salami and chorizo fanned across a small wooden board
Salami and chorizo sliced for the board

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