Melon, Prosciutto, and Mozzarella Appetizer with a Mint Melon Dressing

Name: Melon, Prosciutto, and Mozzarella Appetizer with a Mint Melon Dressing
Yield: Serves 2 portions, but the size of the melon will determine how many servings
Ingredients: 1 ripe melon - honeydew, cantaloupe, or your favorite variety; sea salt and ground black pepper; Mozzarella Ciliegine (cherry sized balls); 3 or 4 slices prosciutto, sliced again lengthwise into thirds or halves, to wrap around each mozzarella ball; large handfuls salad greens of your choice; scooped out 1-inch melon balls; juice from the melon; juice of 1/2 lemon; 1 mint leaf per melon ball - I used chocolate mint; salt and white pepper if needed

By Bevi

June 3, 2012

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Melon, Prosciutto, and Mozzarella Appetizer with a Mint Melon Dressing

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Author Notes: Most often we serve prosciutto wrapped melon slices, but I was wondering what would the inverse be - a cherry sized mozzarella ball wrapped in prosciutto wrapped in melon. I found an antique ice cream scooper at my parents' house, and used it to do my best to scoop out rather large melon balls. I then used a 1-inch melon ball scooper to make a circle in the middle of the melon ball in which to place the meat-wrapped mozzarella. A minted dressing made from the scooped out melon and its juices makes a refreshing and pretty addition. Reverse engineering a commonplace appetizer and using scooped out melon to add to the vinaigrette makes this an easy appetizer - as well as a salad - with increased melon flavor. —Bevi

Serves: 2 portions, but the size of the melon will determine how many servings

To Assemble the Melon Wrapped Appetizer

1 ripe melon - honeydew, cantaloupe, or your favorite variety
pinches sea salt and ground black pepper
handfuls Mozzarella Ciliegine (cherry sized balls)
3 or 4 slices prosciutto, sliced again lengthwise into thirds or halves, to wrap around each mozzarella ball
large handfuls salad greens of your choice

Use a 2-inch ice cream scooper to scoop out large melon balls. They may not be perfectly round balls, but you will set the "good" rounded side up. Place balls on a large plate to work on. Use a 1-inch melon scooper to scoop out a crater on the top of the larger melon balls. Set the scooped out pulp aside for the dressing.
Quickly pass a pinch of salt over the prepared melon.
Wrap the mozzarella balls with the prosciutto slices, and place a cheese ball in each melon crater.
Place the prepared melon on a bed of greens on salad plates.

For the Melon Dressing

scooped out 1-inch melon balls
juice from the melon
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 mint leaf per melon ball - I used chocolate mint
salt and white pepper if needed

Place all the ingredients except salt and pepper in a food processor and blend until the dressing is thoroughly liquified. Use more melon juice if necessary. Taste to see if you want to add a little salt and pepper.
Spoon the dressing over the melon balls and greens.