Melon, Mozzarella, and Basil Salad with Jamón

 

The first time I experienced the exquisite combination of cured pork and melon was while dining at a street side café in Oviedo, Spain. I can’t remember what course it was or the name of the restaurant, but I certainly recall how the unimaginably thin and salty slices of jamón iberico were draped over the sweet slices of piel de sapo melon. Perfection to the eyes and to the taste buds alike.  My fiancé and I both laugh when we look back at pictures of ourselves in Spain because of how bloated we were due to the obscene amounts of jamón we consumed (well, it’s not all the jamón’s fault…)

And the Spaniards take their jamón about as seriously as we Texans take our barbecue. It quickly became a pastime of ours to observe little old ladies hauling these giant pig legs back to their apartments (pata negra pigs, to be precise) without a glimmer of shame. Finally, people who spoke my language, and in more ways than one. People who don’t care how ridiculous they may appear merely for the sake of good food and feeding their families are my kind of people. Amen?

My version of this salad includes mozzarella and basil, but neither of those ingredients are absolutely crucial. You could also make this with prosciutto, or slice the melon and drape the jamón/prosciutto over it. You could even make little kabob appetizers. Either way, try it out and, as always… ¡buen provecho!