Truth be told, I’ve never been a big fan of melon gaspacho, but after countless amuse-bouche shots of it in the south of France this summer, I finally decided it’s time to make amends with the fruity bisque by creating my own recipe. The best cantaloupes come from Cavaillon in Provence and every July the village holds a three day Fête du Melon to celebrate the height of the season. French melons are smaller than the typical American variety, with dark green striped skin, vibrant orange flesh and a heavenly perfume so sweet that it draws the bees from their lavender. Normally I devour the fruit in crescents with prosciutto, so with this in mind, I came up with three ingredients that would harmonize the same way in a soup: Lillet blanc, duck prosciutto, and Cancale, a spice blend from La Boîte à Epice made with fleur de sel, orange and fennel pollen among other things. The combination of sweet and savory elements make it feel like a starter rather than a smoothie, with a hint of mint to keep this soup summertime fresh.
Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Serves 4
Ingredients:
1 large cantaloupe, skinned, seeded and cut into chunks, divided
6 leaves of fresh mint
2 ounces Lillet blanc
4 ounces (½ cup, 120g) duck prosciutto (sub. Prosciutto di Parma)
1 ½ tsp. Cancale spice, divided (from La boîte à Epice)
Technique:
- Reserve ½ cup of melon for garnish; blend the rest with Lillet, mint, and ¾ tsp. Cancale until completely smooth. Refrigerate.
- Finely dice the reserved melon and the prosciutto. Sprinkle 2T of each garnish per bowl of well-chilled soup with a pinch of Cancale.
Miel et Lavande 