Mayfield's Best-Summer-Melon With Speck
Inspired by melon season and access to great produce from nearby farms and quality speck from Sogno Toscano in Santa Monica, this easy and simple summer dish by Mayfield chef Jon Sarmenta hits the spot.
The most important thing is to buy really great melons and cured speck. “We slice the speck in-house so it is really soft and fresh,” says Sarmenta, “but if I was making it at home, I’d just go to a great Italian deli or butchery and ask them to slice it for me.”
Note: Make the melon juice by blending any extra melon and trimmings in a blender until pureed, then strain. Make the orange simple syrup for the vinaigrette the day before: Mix the zest of 1 orange, 3/4 cup sugar and 1/2 cup water. Let the mixture sit for 24 hours, then strain and discard the zest.
Make the spiced almonds: Heat the oven to 400 degrees. In a bowl, toss the Marcona almonds in chile oil. Transfer them to a baking sheet in a single even layer and toast in the oven until the almonds are golden throughout, about 7 minutes.
Remove from the oven and sprinkle with chile flakes and salt to taste, tossing to coat. Lightly crush using a mortar and pestle or roughly chop with a knife. Set aside.
Make the melon vinaigrette: Combine the melon juice, simple syrup and white balsamic vinegar in a high-speed blender. Blend on medium speed and slowly pour in the olive oil until the mixture is emulsified. Add salt and adjust to taste.
Make the melon salad: Slice the melons into irregular bite sizes pieces. Dividing them evenly among four plates, arrange the melon pieces roughly in a circle. Divide the sliced speck evenly among the plates, over the top of the melon.
Pour a small pool of the melon vinaigrette in the middle of each plate. Garnish with fresh basil leaves, spiced marcona almonds, Maldon salt and a few drops of extra virgin olive oil.
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