We’re used to puréeing watermelons with sugar syrup and freezing it into granita. Or at barbecues, plugging their “emerald-rinded posteriors” with “an upturned bottle of vodka” for a boozy treat, said Ravinder Bhogal in the Financial Times. But more and more people are now pairing watermelon’s “refreshing flesh” with salty, herby, even hot flavours to unlock vibrant new levels in savoury dishes. Here are some of our favourite deliciously unusual watermelon combos.
Peanut and Watermelon Chaat
Chaats are crunchy, spicy fried snacks, often served as appetizers throughout South Asia. “Every chaat has a little bit of sweetness, a little bit of tartness, a little heat, and a little crunch,” said chef Vishwesh Bhatt in Food & Wine. He flavours his peanut-based chaat with chilli, cayenne, chaat masala, thinly sliced cucumber, red onion, radishes, mint, basil, coriander, lime juice and “the fleeting succulent sweetness of watermelon”.
Sour watermelon and monkfish curry
For a “bold, new” take, I combine watermelon with “dashes of umami fish sauce, blistering chillies and mouth-puckering tamarind”, said Bhogal in the FT. In a monkfish curry, watermelon chunks bring “bright, pleasing bursts of sweetness” to temper the spiciness of the sauce. “Serve with sticky rice, topped with plenty of fresh Thai basil.”
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Spiced pork belly with quick-pickled watermelon
Watermelon pickled with grapefruit, lime, chilli and fish sauce makes a “chunky salsa” so tempting you’ll want to eat it “straight out of the bowl”, said Diana Henry in The Telegraph. But, paired with “punchy” pork belly, marinaded in chillies, lime, ginger and garlic, it makes a “delicious sweet-meets-savoury main”.
Watermelon and tomato salad with spicy feta sauce
Chef Ana Sortun has given a much-loved Mediterranean classic a spicy twist, said Adam Dolge Food & Wine. Sprinkling charred jalapeño onto the simple chopped melon and tomato base adds a “subtle smokiness and gentle heat”, and the creamy feta sauce brings a “tangy, savoury richness” that strikes a “pleasing balance with the sweet fruit”.
Watermelon rind pickles
“Don’t toss out that watermelon rind,“ says Jodie Kautzmann in Food & Wine. With ginger, allspice, black peppercorns, bay leaves and lemon peel, you can turn it into “crunchy, tangy” pickles that are “perfect for adding to a charcuterie board” or “chopping into a relish for burgers and hot dogs”.
