Melon Salad
- 1 1/2 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons finely grated peeled ginger
- 2 teaspoons finely chopped lemongrass
- 1 lime, zest finely grated plus 2 limes, juiced
- 1/8 teaspoon hot sauce (recommended: Tabasco)
- Salt and freshly ground white pepper
- 1 ripe honeydew melon
- 1 ripe, small round red watermelon
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped purple-basil leaves, plus additional small leaves
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro leaves, plus additional small leaves
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil.
- Turn off heat and add shrimp and cook for 3 to 5 minutes.
- Drain.
- When cool enough to handle, slice each shrimp in half lengthwise.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, ginger, lemongrass, lime zest and juice, and hot sauce.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Set aside.
- Halve the honeydew and watermelon, cut away from rind, and remove the seeds.
- Slice the melons into 1/8-inch-thick pieces.
- Remove the watermelon seeds (it's okay if the slices don't stay intact).
- Using a cake ring or a glass whose mouth is slightly smaller than a 14 to 16-ounce martini glass or champagne coupe, cut out 16 slices from the watermelon, and 16 slices from the honeydew.
- Save the best-looking 4 watermelon slices.
- Set out 4 (8 to 12-ounce) martini glasses or Champagne coupes.
- Layer 2 slices of watermelon and honeydew in each glass, lightly sprinkling each melon layer with the lemongrass dressing, chopped basil, chopped cilantro, salt, and pepper.
- (You may need to trim the melon slices so they fit neatly into the glasses, which should be half-full at this point.)
- Divide the shrimp among the glasses, arranging them in concentric circles.
- Season the shrimp with the dressing, basil, cilantro, salt, and pepper.
- Add another layer of melon in the reverse order: honeydew, then watermelon, seasoning as before.
- Top each salad with a reserved watermelon slice, and sprinkle lightly with the dressing, basil, cilantro, salt, and pepper.
- Garnish with 1 basil and 1 cilantro leaf.
- Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving (the melon and shrimp taste best when well chilled).
shrimp, extravirgin olive oil, ginger, lemongrass, lime, hot sauce, salt, honeydew, red watermelon, purplebasil, cilantro
Taken from www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/melon-salad-recipe0.html (may not work)