You'll be hard-pressed to find a
small bite with fresher flavors
than this one. Melon, plum,
cucumber-they are like summer on a
plate. I first experimented with
these flavors following a trip to
Italy, where I sampled a slew of
variations of prosciutto and melon.
That trip coincided with a period
when crudo was the culinary
buzzword of the day. So I took
prosciutto and melon, added raw
hamachi, and served them all in a
melon broth. This dish is Salt
House chef Bob Leva's refined
variation: he took out the
prosciutto and replaced the melon
broth with just the right amount of
soy-lime dressing to enhance the
fish without obscuring its buttery
flavor. Make sure you put the two
together just before serving. If
you mix them too early, the vinegar
and lime will start to "cook" the
fish. I like to use the French
Charentais melon, but you can use
honeydew or even cantaloupe.
Whichever type you choose, make
sure it is the ripest, most
aromatic melon you can find.
