melon-prosciutto skewers.
just a really good, really simple way to eat summer caprese with melon, mint, and basil oil.
Makes: 10-12 skewers Prep time: 10 minutes Build Time: 20 minutes jump to recipe.
This recipe is really, extremely simple, so I’m going to keep this section super short.
I’d skip writing an intro entirely, but I care mildly about SEO. So here’s some words, Google.
The only “cooking” involved in this entire recipe is the basil oil. To be honest, the basil oil is delicious, but totally optional. If you want to throw the skewers together and go, they’ll be just fine.
The basil oil, though, takes less than 10 minutes. If you have the time, you could let the basil infuse all day, but if you are fighting the clock (like I always seem to be) then the basil oil can be yours in minutes. Really.
Blanch the basil first. Don’t skip this, or your oil will be a weird browny green color. You want it bright.
Whiz the basil with olive oil. Use your best stuff, whatever that means. I switched to those bougie square bottles, and I admittedly love it. It tastes good, and encourages me to eat more… salads, I guess.
Let it steep all day as-is, if you have the time. The flavor of the basil will be way stronger.
Then strain it. Or don’t, if you want it super basil-y. Straining it will give you that super cool, Michelin-star restaurant vibe.
Then I have two options for you: again, one for the people with time, and one for those without. My suggestion: marinate the mozzarella balls in the basil oil. Uhhhh. Yum.
Or just drizzle the oil over the skewers and go. This will just add a little hint of flavor and moisture to the skewers so they’re a bit more than just melons on a stick. The marinating will, of course, add flavor to the mozz.
And of course, swap the melons for cherry tomatoes and the mint for basil for a true caprese. You could also swap the proscuitto for cooked bacon for a BLT skewer. Hungry yet?
Scooping melons
Maybe if I scooped melons everyday, I’d find scooping them way less confusing, but I do it about twice a year and have to google what to do each time. For reference, I watch this video.
It’s ridiculously easy, I understand that. Honestly, though. I forgot I even owned a melon baller.
So I was hacking away at my melon with an ice cream scoop until I finally had the idea to look for a melon baller in my utensil drawer. Ah.
You need it, the double sided doohickey with two semi circles on either end; you won’t be able to ball without it. Ice cream scoops don’t work and are way too big.
Watch the video linked, or follow your instincts like a normal person and carve a sphere out of the melon, repeating the process all the way around. Like she says, it helps a lot to put the entire circle on the melon and then swoop around. You should get roughly 30 1-inch balls out of one small cantaloupe.
Variations
You can swap melons, add melons, or omit the cheese. I recommend any or all of it. Try adding honeydew, blueberries, watermelon, or even grapes. Frankly, I like more savory than sweet, so I like to keep cheese and meats on the heavier side; but know your audience. If your guests love melons, make them melon heavy!
You can also make caprese skewers by swapping the melon for cherry tomatoes and the mint for basil. For this, I’d recommend a light drizzling of balsamic with the basil oil; it will taste amazing and look beautiful.
there will be slight flat side to the melon balls
melon-prosciutto skewer ingredients
cantelope: Do you weigh your cantelopes? If not, you’ll want one on the smaller side, about 6 or so inches across. It doesn’t hurt to buy bigger, but you’ll likely have more melon than you need. Cantelopes aren’t hard to cut open, but if you’re nervous about it, just look for a pre-cut half. They are usually sold in the prepared fruits section.
mozzarella: You could certainly be super rustic and use pulled-apart mozzarella, but it’s much easier and cleaner to use the little balls. I used ciliegine sized. I recommend matching the size of the mozzarella to the size of your melon baller; usually there’s a 1-inch size and a 1/2-inch size. Ciliegine matches the bigger scoop, and pearls match the smaller one.
mint: Totally skippable, but the mint adds a nice summer touch. You want the smaller leaves, so try to look for sprigs with a lot of tiny tops.
prosciutto: You need about 2 packages. If you hate prosciutto, swap with bacon, salami, or omit it entirely. Nothing wrong with vegetarian skewers.
basil: You’ll need a very, very full cup of basil. Don’t skimp on this or your oil will be bland. Use fresh, big, green, clean leaves. Wash them before using.
EVOO: Use extra-virgin or just regular olive oil and try to use good-quality oil - it will simply taste better and fresher. I have been liking California Olive Ranch lately. I wouldn’t really recommend using any other oil — it won’t taste very good (I hate avocado oil, personally, so I guess you could try that if you love it).
salt: The tiniest pinch. This isn’t a dish that needs salt - it’s just to make the basil in the oil pop a bit.
for max efficiency, hold all the melon balls in your dominant hand and scoop with the other.
this is how your basil should look when blanching.
strain basil oil in a cheesecloth lined fine strainer for a smooth oil.
melon-prosciutto skewers pairing options
Of course these are appetizers! Serve these with bubbly drinks, good wine, and lots of other small snacks. Here are some options for a bumpin’ summer soirée:
ricotta and jammy onion crostini
grilled peaches and honey
grilled shrimp and avocado
blistered shishito peppers
rosé
prosecco
pinot grigio
