Melon and Prosciutto Canapés
Italians eat melon with prosciutto not out of whimsy but because of salt: it makes sweet melon sweeter, while the cold juicy flesh balances the rich ham. All it takes is a ripe melon and very thinly sliced prosciutto. A third ingredient is a mistake.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Total
- 15 min
- Servings
- 8
- Level
- Easy
- Per serving
- 130 kcal
Ingredients
Makes: 24 skewers, 8 portions
Shopping list
The ingredients for the servings you chose — copy them or send them to a messenger. Tick what you already have at home: only the rest goes on the list.
Method
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Step 1: Cut the melon
Cut away the skin, scoop out the seeds and cube the flesh at about 3 cm. Smaller cubes dry out in the air within half an hour.
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Step 2: Pat them dry
Leave the cubes on kitchen paper for 5 minutes. A wet surface gives the ham nothing to hold onto and the ribbon slides off.
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Step 3: Halve the prosciutto
Cut each slice lengthways in two — that makes 24 ribbons. A whole slice on a small cube overwhelms the melon completely.
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Step 4: Wrap
Wrap each cube loosely, in a wave rather than tightly, and pin it with a pick together with a mint leaf.
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Step 5: Serve cool
Grind over pepper and add a little olive oil if you like. The melon should be cold and the ham at room temperature, where its aroma opens up.
Tips & variations
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Tip
A ripe melon smells at the stem end and gives slightly at the opposite end. A hard, scentless one stays bland even under ham.
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Tip
Take the prosciutto out of the fridge 15 minutes ahead: cold fat tastes of nothing, warmed fat tastes of everything.
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Variation
In autumn swap the melon for ripe pear or figs — the same principle over a longer season.
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Storage
Assemble no more than an hour ahead: melon weeps, and the platter ends up in a puddle.
Nutrition
| 1 serving | Whole dish 8 servings | |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 130 kcal | 1,040 kcal |
| Protein | 8 g | 64 g |
| Fat | 6 g | 48 g |
| Carbohydrates | 12 g | 96 g |
Approximate values calculated from standard ingredient data.
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