Juicy melon with a salty-sweet crunchy topping makes for a low-effort but universally crowd-pleasing summer appetizer. “My mother has been making this dish since I was a young kid,” says the cookbook author Leela Punyaratabandhu. “It’s inspired by the Italian classic, prosciutto e melone, and an elegant and old-school Thai appetizer in which watermelon is paired with a sweet, salty, sandy crumble. You won’t find cantaloupe paired with spicy bacon-cashew crumble anywhere in Thailand, but this was one of my after-school snacks and, to this day, one of my favorite things to serve when I entertain guests.” Swap any melon for the cantaloupe—as long as it’s ripe, it will be delicious—and don’t serve it straight out of the fridge, because very cold melon will solidify the residual bacon fat in the crumble. Serve it with Leela’s summery menu for Grilled Pork Shoulder Steaks With Green Pepper Relish, Khao Niao (Thai Sticky Rice), Cucumber, Tomato, and Green Bean Salad, Grilled Scallops With Peach Sweet Chili Sauce, and Lime-Lemongrass Slushies.
Ingredients
4 – 6 Servings
6
3
1
½
1
½
1
Preparation
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Step 1
Cook bacon in a dry medium nonstick skillet over medium heat, stirring often, until crisp, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels to drain. Pour off all but 1 Tbsp. fat from skillet.
Step 2
Cook garlic and chile in same skillet over medium heat, stirring, until garlic is softened but has not taken on any color, about 1 minute. Add cashews; cook, stirring constantly, until heated through, about 2 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and stir in bacon, brown sugar, and ½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt. Taste crumble and season with more salt if needed. Crumble should be equal parts salty and sweet.
Step 3
Arrange cantaloupe on a platter and top with warm crumble.
