Cool Melon and Hot Bacon

kelly in TO's Note:

Light lunch but it would also make a refreshing first course.

• Total Time: 18 mins
• Prep Time: 8 mins
• Cook Time: 10 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 2

• 1 ripe orange-fleshed melon
• 225 g smoked bacon
• 3 sprigs flat leaf parsley

For the dressing

• 2 teaspoons honey
• 1 large lemon , juice of
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• black pepper , to taste

Directions:

1. Cut the melon in half, scoop out the seeds and cut the flesh into wedges.
2. Slice the fruit from the skin then cut the flesh into thick cubes. Keep the pieces generously sized.
3. Remove the rinds from the bacon. Grill the bacon - or fry it in a non-stick pan - until crisp, then drain on kitchen paper. Cut or break the bacon into pieces about 2 cm in length. Pull the leaves from the parsley and roughly chop.
4. Dissolve the honey in the lemon juice, season with a few grinds of black pepper and beat in the olive oil with a fork or small whisk.
5. Add the bacon and parsley to the melon. Pour over the dressing and gently toss, trying not to break up the melon. Divide between two plates and serve.

Reviews

[MrsKette]

Delicious. (I added a bit of salt to the dressing though.) Even my husband, who doesn't like salads or melon, liked it. If cut with a melon baller, you could serve it in an endive leave, for a more sophisticated look.

[cowboyjunkie]

delicious and light - I used far less bacon (in fact, I used chorizo) and because so much fat came out when I dry-fried it, I squeezed the lemon juice straight into the pan along with the honey and pepper and poured it over the melon (didn't need the olive oil). What a taste sensation! Thank you, I was looking for a simple and different melon recipe, now this will be in my repertoire forever more!