Shaved Cabbage Salad w/Chili Oil, Cilantro, and Charred Melon

I tend toward cantaloupe for this dish. Charring the pieces in an exceedingly hot frying pan caramelizes the sugar and lends a bitter quality to contrast the internal sweetness. I cook only one side to ensure good color; also, when I’ve flipped them the pieces overcook and fall apart.

This process is also great for pineapple or underripe mangoes and is equally successful done on the grill. If using the juiciest melons of summer, cut them into larger pieces to maintain some structure