This is a delicious appetiser or light lunch for the summer months but as feta can be found all year round and so can watermelon, in the UK at least, I thought that it would make an elegant and fun starter for your Valentine’s dinner.
In this dish, the feta and watermelon are enhanced by the presence of quickly pickled melon and cucumber balls and I used a rose flavoured vinegar as rose goes beautifully with both cucumber and watermelon.
You can achieve the same effect by using apple cider vinegar with a little rose water.
To coat the feta, I mixed powdered dry rosemary with some lime zest and paprika flavoured panko crumbs but you may choose to flavour the feta and coat with any number of herbs or nuts. Mint goes beautifully with feta and watermelon and so do pistachio nuts. For heat, add some chilli flakes.
Ingredients (serves 2)
For the griddled watermelon
- A couple of slices of watermelon, 1.5cm thick
- 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
For the feta
- 100g Dodoni feta
- 25g Greek yogurt
- 50g cream cheese
- 1-2 tbsp milk to thin
- A pinch of white pepper
For the pickled accompaniments
- A few balls of cucumber
- A few balls of melon
- 50ml rose flavoured vinegar
- 50ml water
- 25g sugar
For the crumb
- 30g panko crumbs
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 lime zest only
- ½ tsp powdered dried rosemary
For the dressing
- 3 tbsp of the vinegar solution
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
To serve
- Rocket, watercress or any green salad leaves
- Rose petals, other edible flours, pistachio nuts (optional)
Method
In a small saucepan put the vinegar, sugar and water and bring slowly to a soft boil. Remove the pan from the heat and leave to cool. Drop the melon and cucumber balls in the pickling liquor and leave for 15 minutes to absorb the flavours.
Next make the crumb. Preheat the oven to 200C. Mix the panko crumbs with the sweet paprika and olive oil on a baking tray and bake for 5 minutes. Leave to cool and mix in the lime zest, powdered rosemary and a little salt.
In a bowl, put the feta, cream cheese and yogurt and use a fork to mix well. Add some milk to thin the mix slightly but not too much and flavour with a little white pepper. At this point you may add lime zest or chilli flakes or anything else you like to flavour the feta. You want to be able to take into your hands and make little balls, which by the way is a different way of presenting the dish.
Bring a griddle pan to a very high heat and rub with a tiny amount of extra virgin olive oil. Place the watermelon slices in the centre and use a spatula to press gently so as to get score marks. Cook for a couple of minutes on one side only. Transfer onto a plate and keep to the side.
If you use a heart shaped mould, spray it with a light oil slightly and dust it with some of the crumb. Spoon in some feta mix and use a little spatula to even out.
To serve, scatter the leaves onto the plate, Place the watermelon slice off centre scorched side up and season with a little salt and freshly ground black pepper. Place the heart shaped feta on top of the watermelon or if you have made feta balls, scatter those around the watermelon. Do the same with the melon and cucumber balls and, drizzle with some dressing and sprinkle with some of the crumb or nuts if you using. Finish with anything else extra you are using.