MELON SALAD WITH LIME, VANILLA AND MINT

After quite a heavy meal, we needed a light dessert and the melon salad was perfect. It is very simple but it is essential the melons are ripe. Loved the flavour of the lime syrup but next time I will skip adding the mint to the syrup. Will added to the salad before serving it.

Ingredients

250g caster sugar

50ml water

2 limes, zested and juiced

1 vanilla bean, split (I used vanilla paste)

1 lemon, juiced

1/2 bunch mint or lemon verbena, leaves picked

1/2 rockmelon, peeled, seeded and chilled

1/2 honeydew melon, peeled, seeded and chilled

1/4 watermelon, peeled and chilled

10 lychees, peeled (I used tinned lychees)

Method

Combine sugar and water in a medium-sized saucepan and add lime zest and vanilla bean or paste. Stir over low heat until sugar dissolves, then bring to a simmer. Remove from heat and stir in lime and lemon juices. Leave to cool, then stir in mint or lemon verbena leaves (if using).

Cut rockmelon and honeydew into very thin slices and arrange in a large, shallow serving bowl. Cut watermelon into thin triangles and add to bowl with lychees. Pour sugar syrup over fruit and set aside for 15 minutes before serving.

Serves 4-6

Tip

The sugar syrup can be infused with herbs such as basil or lemon verbena and used in cocktails or drizzled over berries served with lemon sorbet.

Comments

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