I recently went for wood fired pizzas with a friend who was out of town and had my socks knocked off by the appetizers. One, in particular stood out, and inspired me to spend my next Saturday in the kitchen trying to reverse engineer something similar. And voila! This summer melon salad with Tajin and crispy coppa was born.
I put this in the category of “recipes that sound intimidating but are actually quite easy.” I sent it to my friend who I dined with (first as photo, then the recipe), and she concurred. Why? Tajin & Coppa, though both may sound exotic, can be found in almost any local grocery store. Sapo melons are sold at farmer’s markets and in grocery stores from late summer through late fall, but can also be swapped out with a ripe honeydew. Get cooking friends!
Ingredients:
(Serves 2-4 as an appetizer)
- 1/4 medium Sapo melon, cubed*
- 1 medium serpent cucumber, sliced in half moons**
- 2 tsp lime juice (1 lime)
- Drizzle of olive oil
- 8-10 fresh leaves basil, minced
- 3/4 teaspoon of Tajin
- 4 slices of coppa***
Directions:
(Total Time: 20 minutes)
- Prep first! Cube your melon, slice your cucumber, and mince your basil. Keep all separate.
- Note if you need a refresher on how to cut a melon – cut your melon in half, refrigerate one half, and cut the second half in half again. You only need one of these quarters – so put the other in the fridge. Cut away the skin from your remaining melon quarter, then cut it into long slices lengthwise. Rotate the melon 90 degrees and cut long slices lengthwise again (these should be perpendicular to the last slices). Then slice horizontally down the slices to yield cubes. Set aside.
- Pre-heat oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, place slices of copa atop, and bake for 10-12 minutes or until crispy and edges start to curl up. Transfer to a small plate to cool.
- Add melon cubes to your serving dish, followed by cucumber. Drizzle with lime juice and olive oil. Sprinkle basil and tajin on top.
- Crush crispy copa slices with your hands atop the bowl and enjoy!
Notes:
* Look for Sapo melons at your local farmer’s market or grocery store. If you can’t find them, a good substitution would be honeydew!
** I used a serpent, or Armenian, cucumber in this recipe purely for aesthetics – it gives the visually appealing striped skin! You should be able to find these as your farmer’s market in the late summer, but no worries if not! This can be swapped out with any cucumber – just be sure to peel the skin!
*** Coppa is a cured meat made from pork shoulder. You can find it with the other cured meats in the grocery store (think prosciutto, salami, etc.) but if you cannot find it, prosciutto will make the perfect substitution.
What am I pairing this with? I’m so glad you asked – this is presently my favorite appetizer to bring to friend’s houses for dinner parties.
- Option #1: Melon and cured meat is an Italian classic – honor the heritage and serve this before some big plates of pastas, like this spicy fusilli
- Option #2: Serve as a side at a summer bbq, like with these basil turkey burgers
What can I learn while I make this? Sapo melons are also called Christmas melons due to their bizarrely long shelf lives. While they’re only in season through late October, they can actually stay good if unopened, unrefrigerated for up to two months unopened (thus… Christmas time!).
What if I want to make an antipasti but not this recipe? Don’t worry– I won’t be offended! Check out these other ideas below:
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