Zuppa di Melone e Prosciutto

Name: Zuppa di Melone e Prosciutto (Melon and Parma Ham Soup)
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 1 very ripe 1-1.5 kg (2¼-3 lb) cantaloupe or charentais melon (orange flesh is essential); 1 very ripe 1-1.5 kg (2¼-3 lb) cantaloupe or charentais melon (orange flesh is essential); Juice 1 orange; 1 very ripe 1-1.5 kg (2¼-3 lb) cantaloupe or charentais melon (orange flesh is essential); ½ teaspoon sea salt; Juice ¼ lemon; Sugar to taste; ½ teaspoon coarsely ground pink peppercorns; 4 large slices Parma ham, cut into thin ribbons

Melon and Parma Ham Soup

Preparation info

Serves
4

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Antonio Carluccio's Italian Feast

By Antonio Carluccio

Published 1996

About

This is a wonderful way to enjoy Parma ham and melon and not only for toothless people! It adds another dimension to summer eating. The combination of a little orange and lemon juice gives it a special spiciness and, in summer, this is one of the bestsellers in my restaurant.

Ingredients

1 very ripe 1-1.5 kg (2¼-3 lb) cantaloupe or charentais melon (orange flesh is essential)

Europe
Italy
Starter
Gluten-free
Summer
Mediterranean
Soup

Method

Peel and liquidize the melon to a coarse purée. Stir in the orange and lemon juices. Season with salt and pepper and add sugar to taste (this should not be necessary if the melon is ripe and flavourful). Mix in one quarter of the Parma ham and divide the soup between the four bowls. Sprinkle the remaining Parma ham onto the soup, with a final twist of the pepper grinder on top.