Watermelon Cube with Aged Balsamic Vinegar |
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Prep Time: 5 Minutes Cook Time: 10 Minutes |
Ready In: 15 Minutes Servings: 6 |
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This charming little amuse is comprised of two ingredients, and when there are only two, they had better be the best there are! My good[ friend Jose Andres inspired me to make this amuse one summer when he visited from his Washington, D.C., restaurant, Jaleo, where he is the chef-partner. Look for ripe, seedless watermelons in the height of summer, when they are bursting with luscious sweetness. Tap their shell; they should sound hollow and feel firm, never soft or mushy. Next, buy the oldest balsamic vinegar you can afford. You'll maybe have to purchase it at a gourmet shop, but once you discover the glories of 25-, 50- or even 100-year old balsamic vinegar, you will be hooked. This is not vinegar to sprinkle with abandon over lettuce or tomatoes, but instead a syrup elixir to use sparingly. Just a drop or two provides flavor that is rich, mellow, sweet and full — unlike any vinegar you have tasted before. When paired with watermelon, as I have here, it's heavenly.] Ingredients:
about 1/2 pound seedless red or yellow watermelon flesh |
1/2 lime |
aged balsamic vinegar, for garnishing |
Directions:
1. Cut the watermelon flesh into 6 (1 1/2-inch) cubes. 2. Use the small end of a melon-baller to remove a scoop of flesh from 1 side of the watermelon cubes, creating a small cavity for the juice. 3. To serve, place a watermelon cube, cavity-side up, on each of 6 small plates and squeeze a little lime juice over them. Fill each cavity with balsamic vinegar. |
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