Conjuring tricks in minutes. Olive Oil and Melon Sorbet with Prosciutto. Worthy of being on any Michelin Star menu at a fraction of the price!

In 2015 we went to Seville. Whilst there I discovered, quite by accident a little delicatessen called Flores Gourmet.

On the menu was olive oil sorbet with jambon. I got very excited and then hugely disappointed; we were there in March and it was only being served from April. Something to do with the weather at that time of year not being conducive to the icy offering.

I never forgot the concept though. There are recipes for olive oil sorbet online. Many of them. All using lots of sugar. I wanted to enjoy a healthy version.

A frozen fruit sorbet is one of the dishes that as an advisor I demonstrate in a free Cooking Experience – a no obligation showcase in your home or mine where you have the hands on chance to decide to invest in a TM5 or now pre-order a TM6 for June 2019 to bring to your home this truly inspirational cooking powerhouse!

But I digress…. the reason I bring up frozen fruit sorbet is that I make frozen melon sorbet all the time with nothing but melon. No need for sugar. The combination of melon and Parma ham is one of true umami. So, I thought, why not add the amazingly good olive oil from Angelina Wines & Olive Oil to melon and do away with the need for added sugar?

Another digression: one of the perks of being an advisor is I meet amazing people. A few years ago I was introduced by a Head Office lead to a lovely Italian banker GC who lives locally in NW London.

GC and I are on the same wavelength of good ingredients, creative flavours and delicious food. He is on another planet (which I am light years behind) when it comes to baking – particularly his desserts to die for! We have remained in touch.

I told him about my melon and olive oil sorbet and asked if he’d like to try experimenting with it at mine and could he recommend good prosciutto that might work. This busy man (who incidentally has just co-produced the winning movie Poised), found time from his busy schedule to pop by this weekend with some delicious Parma ham from Panzer’s and together we created the yummiest dish!

Now GC as an discerning Italian connoisseur says he will serve it as a superb starter. Me? I’ll have it as a starter OR with a selection of fruit (including a side of my poached kumquats) as a very different dessert! In fact, this summer I am stocking up on ripe melon in the freezer and will have it for breakfast lunch and dinner!

The trick is in crisping the prosciutto to perfection. In our experiment the melon was not as sweet as I’d have liked so I added the semi-frozen syrup from the poached kumquats I’d saved for GC to try and that lifted it. You could add sugar (making icing sugar following the frozen fruit sorbet recipe on Cookidoo).

Try it and please let me know what you think! I am not getting a cut for this: I love supporting small businesses and that of Valentina Buscicchio’s in Primrose Hill is one I totally endorse; their olive oil from their home in Basilicata is superb for this sorbet and you can find her in the farmer’s market on Saturdays in Primrose Hill

For a vegan alternative, try baked basil leaves.

RECIPE (serves 4)

Ingredients:

500g frozen (for at least 7 hours), very ripe, sweet melon of choice

20g extra virgin olive oil (Angelina’s!)

6-8 slices (very thin) prosciutto or jambon iberico

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 190C. Place the ham on a shallow tray lined with grease roof paper. Roast in middle shelf for 15-20 minutes till nicely browned but not burnt. It should be crispy and break into shards when cooled.

2. Place melon in TM bowl. Put the TM spatula in and blitz the melon 40 seconds/speed 10, churning with the spatula to ensure the melon is worked off the sides of the bowl so it is evenly blitzed.

3. Add 20g olive oil. Churn again 20 seconds / speed 10.

4. Insert butterfly whisk. It may take a bit of thawing before the whisk is able to move. Whisk 1 min/ speed 4.

5. Serve immediately topped with shards of cooled prosciutto.

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