Cantaloupe with Preserved Lemon, Harissa and Dill

This refreshing dish is a wonderful vehicle to highlight seasonal cantaloupes— the briny pucker of preserved lemon, the smoky complexity of harissa and the herbaceous notes of dill all sing with the floral sweetness of the melon. The recipe comes together quickly— and is all about the quality of the ingredients, so make sure to use a very good quality extra virgin olive oil with fruity notes and the ripest, freshest cantaloupes you can find. The dish is quite versatile— feel free to add mint or basil— and if you can’t find preserved lemons use the zest and juice of a lemon and a splash of rice wine vinegar. And of course if you like, you can always add cantaloupe’s best friend— prosciutto— to the dish.

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Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

1 small cantaloupe, cored, peeled and cut into thin wedges
1 preserved lemon, rinsed and minced
1 tsp harissa powder, or more to taste
¼ cup fresh dill fronds
Extra virgin olive oil
Flaky sea salt, for finishing

METHOD

Arrange cantaloupe on a serving platter and top with preserved lemon and harissa powder. Arrange dill fronds atop. Finish with a good glug (for me that’s about 1½ or so tbsp) of olive oil and flaky sea salt and serve.