watermelon feta
mint
salad

jump to the recipe

This recipe came about a long time ago when challenged to be a part of a lunch where ingredients that were only available in ‘Old Testament’ times could be used.

As it happened, it was just a sheer fluke that this was so delicious and has such broad appeal. Sesame oil needs to be fresh and buying it in small quantities, say about 200 ml and keeping in the fridge is the best way to keep it sound. I have often seen large tins of sesame oil in restaurant kitchens, languishing at hot temperatures and completely unusable and rancid.

we’ve also plated this dish like sketch above and even cut them into cubes and secured them with a toothpick for an easy canapé

so delicious

and…if you think it seems a lot there never seems to be much left over!

vegetarian and gluten-free provided you find a gluten-free feta

1 medium watermelon, peeled and skinned and cut into approximately 2 cm pieces
1 teaspoon Nigella seeds, dry roasted to refresh them
1 bunch of coriander, washed and drained and roughly chopped, roots discarded…can be replaced with chervil or basil
1 bunch of mint, leafed
500g Bulgarian fetta, drained and crumbled into largish pieces
white pepper
sesame oil

The feta adds sufficient salt to the mix…do not add salt

so quick and easy

Layer the watermelon on a large serving plate, sprinkle a few drops of sesame oil over the top, grind some white pepper, then scatter some of the Nigella seeds, feta, coriander and mint.

Repeat the process until the ingredients are used, making sure that you keep plenty of coriander and mint for the top layer.

Cover loosely with plastic food wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve. Nigella seeds are actually onion seeds, not blackened roasted sesame seeds or a type of cumin and are an interesting way of adding a light onion taste to salads that seems to suit those people who push raw onion to one side.

don’t throw out the rinds

The rinds make a great crunchy pickle that adds a nice texture to salads and wet dishes. Good recipes can be found in any pickling book.

try another delicious
watermelon salad

a bit more on the expensive side, and a bit more prep required but people go nuts about this version of Sam Leong’s recipe…and it has the bonus of being almost totally prepped in advance.

pictured right chef sam leong’s recipe for watermelon stuffed with seafood mayonnaise
click on the image to go to the recipe

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