It’s officially Summer and that means that melons are in season! We’ve shared recipes in the past that feature the American Classic: Watermelon here and here before, but this recipe features my all time favorite. That of course, is cantaloupe. I don’t know why, but ever since I was a kid, I always preferred cantaloupe to watermelon or honeydew. Maybe it was because back then, seedless watermelons weren’t around yet and therefore, had way too many seeds to navigate around (didn’t want that wive’s tale of a watermelon growing in my stomach at the age of 5) and honeydews have to be absolutely perfect or I’ll just pass on them.
One of those great yet entirely simple appetizers or snacks for those summertime get togethers has to be the prosciutto wrapped melon slices. It’s literally two ingredients and the addition of that beautifully cured meat wrapped around a sweet and juicy cantaloupe slice are perfect for those warm summer days. We decided to kick it up another notch this time around by not only drizzling the melon with a balsamic reduction, but also using speck instead of classic prosciutto. This gave it another dimension by adding a smokey element to the snack. After all, speck really is just smoked prosciutto anyhow. Give these a try and we promise that they are sure to be a hit at your next BBQ.
- 1 cantaloupe, cut into slices
- 10 slices speck
- 1 cup balsamic vinegar
- Place balsamic vinegar in a small saucepan over medium-low heat and reduce until thick and syrupy taking care not to let it boil. About 10-20 minutes
- While balsamic vinegar is reducing, carefully cut the melon rind off each melon slice.
- Cut speck in half lengthwise then wrap each piece around a slice of melon.
- When balsamic has been reduced, use a spoon to drizzle vinegar reduction over the speck wrapped cantaloupe. Serve immediately
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