I am at a week-long photo shoot this week for the tofu book, but wanted to share this summertime dish. It's an oldie but goodie in my repertoire of cooking. This is the recipe that got me to seriously think about the potential of kaffir (makrut) lime leaf. That is, it's not just for curries!
I was introduced to this salad by virtue of having to make it on a regular basis at City Restaurant in Los Angeles, a now-defunct establishment by Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger. I’d answered a Los Angeles Times help wanted ad, and Susan hired me to work the pantry station. That was the first time I had stepped into a professional kitchen. It was 1993.
City’s Thai melon salad was full of salty, sweet, briny, citrusy, hot flavors. We made it with perfectly cubed watermelon, cantaloupe, and honeydew for a beautiful presentation. I was entranced by the sheer beauty and complexity that the ‘fruit salad’ offered. It was a wildly popular dish with customers, and in many ways, way ahead of its time. Few mainstream restaurants were serving fruit with fish sauce back then.
Mary Sue and Susan borrowed the idea from a preparation they’d enjoyed in Thailand. Though I’d never run into the dish at a Thai restaurant or during my travels, all the elements make perfect sense in a Southeast Asian manner. It is a refreshing burst of flavor, terrific for summer and all the melons that are coming into market right now.
Last Sunday, my husband and I brought it as an appetizer to a dinner party. Rory made the dressing and I prepped the melon. Just as I was about to cut the watermelon into perfect cubes, I decided to keep the melon on the rind as wedges. That way, people would have a handy handle to hold and a platform to support the chunky dressing. Plus, there was less waste in terms of imperfect pieces of melon flesh. It made for a novel presentation and I had turned a salad into a finger food. Except for Rory, no one else at the party cared about my cleverness. They just ate it up. Our host poured lots of riesling for a splendid way to start the evening.
RECIPE
Thai Melon Salad
Serves 10 to 12 as an appetizer, 4 to 6 as a side salad
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 tablespoons packed light palm sugar or brown sugar
¼ cup fish sauce
¼ cup fresh lime juice
2 Thai or Serrano chiles, minced
1 tablespoon finely chopped kaffir lime leaf (remove the midrib)
⅓ cup dried shrimp, briefly rinsed to soften and finely chopped
½ cup roasted, unsalted peanuts, chopped
A volleyball-size watermelon
1. For the dressing, combine the garlic, sugar, fish sauce, and lime juice in a bowl, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Add the lime leaf, dried shrimp, and peanuts. Set aside for 15 minutes, then revisit the dressing for a taste test. Add extra lime juice, sugar, or fish sauce as needed to balance the flavors. Set aside or refrigerate for up to 3 days.
2. Halve the water melon, then cut each half into 3 long wedges. Cut each wedge crosswise into ½ to ¾-inch–thick triangles. Arrange on a platter. Serve with the sauce on the side and invite guests to spoon some sauce on a watermelon wedge to eat. Set out an empty bowl for holding the leftover rind.
Any ideas on other kinds of fruit that this dressing would work with? If you have leftover dressing is nice mixed into rice too.
Michelle says
My mouth is WATERING!! That sounds delicious. Maybe pair it with some ripe mango, too? Hmm.
maluE says
i first ran across a similar recipe in the '70s, in a madhur jaffrey book .. she used a mix of melons, including cantaloupe and honeydew.
a salad i make regularly : tomatoes, mangos, cilantro (lots), fish sauce, lemon, chiles or just cayenne powder.
Eve says
Ooooh, and we've got a nice ripe cantaloupe at home, too!
TU DOAN says
I always want to try out new foods. The watermelon looks delicious but the sauce looks scary to me.
I am hesitated to try this because all my life I have only seen people eating watermelon with salt.
For best taste, should I eat this dish at room temperature or out of refrigerator? Any suggestion on choice of watermelon?
TU DOAN says
Don't get it wrong. It's not about your food. It's just me.
Hungry Lemur says
This looks amazing. I love Mary Sue and Susan's food - I've been to two of their restaurants and both were spectacular. The combo of fruit and savoury always really appeals to me.
Diane says
I make a version of this with 7-9 fruits. It's a lovely, refreshing salad.
Kristie V. says
Nice! I love watermelon in a savory salad and the idea of combining it with Thai-style sauce is thrilling. Can't wait to give it a try!
Andrea Nguyen says
Tu Doan: LOL -- the sauce is salty, spicy, herby so it's functioning just like your salt on the melon! Same idea so go for it. I like watermelon slightly chilled but this recipe is good at room temperature.
Andrea Nguyen says
Diane: What kinds of fruit do you use? Do tell...
Linh-Dang says
Ha! Wow, I just noticed we posted about watermelon salads within days of each other. In what way this City Thai's dish differ from the dish the owners encountered in Thailand? I always wondered where the original ideas for Fatty Crabs' Watermelon Salad w/ Crispy Fried Braised Pork Belly came from. I figured the pickled watermelon rinds was from the South, along with fried pork belly, but the closest thing to the savory watermelon preparation was watermelon soup from Indonesia.
maluE says
i would add pomelo and pineapple to the mix of melons for brightness and tartness .. adjust the sauce, of course.
this is in the august 2011 Food & Wine magazine -
__________
Vietnamese Peach Relish
http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/vietnamese-peach-relish
Contributed by Grace Parisi
Alice Waters likes eating savory peach relishes with fish. Make sure to use peaches that are firm enough to hold their shape once diced.
ACTIVE: TOTAL TIME: 20 MIN
SERVINGS: MAKES 3 CUPS
1 garlic clove, minced
1 serrano chile or jalapeño, seeded and minced
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
3 tablespoons Asian fish sauce
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
3 firm, ripe medium peaches, peeled and finely diced
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons chopped mint
In a mortar (or using a mini food processor), pound the garlic and chile with the brown sugar until a paste forms. Stir in the fish sauce, lime juice and 2 tablespoons of water. Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl and stir in the peaches, cilantro and mint.
SERVE WITH
Grilled halibut or shrimp.
From Cooking Like Alice Waters
Food & Wine - Published August 2011
Diane says
Andrea: I mix and match whatever's around: a few melons, grapes, mango, pineapple, kiwis, apple, etc...
Carla @ Gluten Free Recipe Box says
Wow! - a week long shoot! I am sure you'll grab tons of great pics! Good luck!
Meanwhile, this recipe sounds fantastic! A great addition to a guest menu, no doubt. And it's soy-free, too!
Thank you so much!
Elizabeth says
I've been obsessed with making this since you posted it. Nuoc cham flavors are my favorite combination. I was on the road and couldn't wait to get back home to our local watermelons. I added a bunch of cilantro, and made enough to try with honeydew, tomatoes, then peaches and plums...
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Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet.
seo service says
"This salad had potential. I used romaine lettuce instead, and I didn't like the way the lettuce had the wilted look after a couple of hours. What I would do next time is make the sauce and the fillings (except the lettuce) in one bowl and... Firm orange- or pale green-fleshed melon is equally good. The saltiness of the fish sauce helps to balance the sweetness of the melon.
marlon says
Wow, I just noticed we posted about watermelon salads within days of each other.
Mr. Cooking Grill says
Such a delicious meal to serve..
India food tour says
Melon salad. Just the right thing for summers