This recipe spins the classic Italian prosciutto-and-melon duo into an elegant summer salad. Cutting the cured ham into ribbons and heating it quickly in a skillet might make a traditionalist cringe, but I am completely enamored with the way doing so results in crisp, flavor-concentrated, smoky-salty bites – like an upscale version of bacon.
Those crisps become the finishing sprinkle for a composed salad made up of thin slices of juicy cantaloupe fanned out on a plate with a mound of peppery arugula leaves piled on top – or the other way around, with the greens below. The leaves are coated in a simple vinaigrette that has the lovely hint of sweetness that’s inherent in an aged white balsamic vinegar. If you don’t have that on hand, white wine vinegar with a touch of honey makes a fine substitute.
Despite its simplicity, the salad is complexly flavorful with sweet, peppery, salty, crisp and tender all on one satisfying plate.
Cantaloupe Salad With Arugula and Crispy Prosciutto
4 servings
Despite its simplicity, this salad offers complex flavors. The dressing has a lovely hint of sweetness that is inherent in an aged white balsamic vinegar, but white wine vinegar with a touch of honey may be substituted.