Prosciutto and Cantaloupe Appetizer
Description
This is an amazingly simple, but delicious appetizer that pairs nicely with many of our recipes for main dishes – especially those that are Italian. (Often when we make this recipe, we use half of the cantaloupe for this recipe and the other half to make this delicious Cantaloupe and Mint Sorbet, which you can access easily by clicking on that recipe title).
At a Glance
Equipment
No special equipment is needed to prepare this wonderful appetizer.
Ingredients
Half of a ripe Cantaloupe, peeled and sliced into 8-10 wedges
8-10 very thin slices of prosciutto (1 slice for each wedge of cantaloupe)
6 ounces of Goat Cheese, divided into either 8-10 equal slices (depending on the number of wedges) and then further divided into 3 pieces. Roll each piece into a ball in the palm of your hand and place on a paper plate or piece of foil until ready to use. (As a substitution, a wonderful blue cheese can be used in this recipe; it is just as delicious)
A few slices of Pickled Red Onion -- ideally, four ½-inch pieces to provide one for each cantaloupe wedge
Aged Balsamic Vinegar (to produce a drizzle over the cantaloupe right before serving)
Freshly ground Black or Red Peppercorns, to taste
Directions
Wrap 1 piece of the prosciutto around each cantaloupe wedge, starting at one end and only slightly overlapping with each wrap, so that the prosciutto is wrapped from end-to-end around each wedge of the cantaloupe. Place the prosciutto-wrapped cantaloupe wedges on a platter, and place the goat cheese balls equally on the wedges, with three balls on each wedge, equally spaced apart. Add four of the ½-inch slices of pickled red onion onto each wedge, again equally spread apart, starting on the outside of goat cheese balls and then between them. Just before serving, drizzle a bit of the aged balsamic vinegar over the wedges, and add freshly ground black or red peppercorns to taste.
