Melon and Prosciutto Skewers

Using a melon baller to prep our fruit, like we did in our Watermelon Cucumber Feta Salad recipe we make our balls and then skewer away. 

 

Melons can be so versatile and easy to cook with. This is a no bake recipe, that is quick and easy to prepare! 

Perfect for summer, entertaining, BBQ's, dinner on a hot night, these Italian appetizers will fly off the plate! 

For a vegetarian recipe that you can prepare ahead of time and serve as the guests come in the door, you can't go wrong with melon and prosciutto.

How do you eat proscuitto and melon?

The best way to eat proscuitto and melon is by making skewers of fruit, meat and cheese. 

Serve the melon pushed onto skewers alternating melon and proscuitto with a cheese ball and balsamic vinegar or honey and let guests drizzle as they go. 

Mozzarella, cantaloupe, prosciutto and a glass of wine, does it get any better than that! 

What cheese goes with prosciutto and melon?

Tiny mozzarella balls (bocconcini) made from a combination of cow's milk and water buffalo are a perfect pairing as the cheese has a mild flavour and balances the sweetness of the melon. 

If you were making this into a salad you could try other cheeses like parmigiano for a salty contrast to the sweetness of the fruit. But when making the skewers you need a cheese you can easily pierce and thread and the mozzarella balls are perfect as they are soft and a similar size to the melon balls we make. 

How do you cut a melon for prosciutto skewers?

To prepare your fruit for your skewers we need to cut it. The best way to do that is using a melon baller. We use this to push into the soft flesh of the fruit and scoop out little round balls. These are perfect for skewering and look impressive. 

The ingredients you need for this recipe are set out and labelled below, these are the exact ones I use to make the skewers you see. 

We make rockmelon balls, honeydew melon balls and cut the prosciutto into smaller portions to fold and alternate with the fruit. 

For the cheese, it will come in a little tub. All you need to do is drain the liquid from the tub and these are ready to eat! 

As you can see we have:

• rockmelon
• honeydew melon
• mozarella balls (cherry boccochini)
• prosciutto
• balsamic vinegar

Balsamic is a great combination to use with melons, however it has a very thin consistency, making it hard to control the drizzle. You can get a balsamic glaze which is thicker and it is perfect to drizzle! 

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What fruit goes well with prosciutto?

Rockmelon and honeydew melon are the best fruits to pair with proscuitto as we are working with a sweet and salty combination which balance each other out.

A few other fruits that proscuitto taste great with are:

• mango
• apricots (perfect combo for a grazing platter)
• grapes
• strawberries

If you try a different combination each time you make a recipe you will be able to work out which is your favourite combination! 

How do you make melon and prosciutto skewers?

These fruit skewers are easy, let's have a look at the steps we take to make them below. 

 There are 4 steps to preparing your ingredients and then you need to set them out for easy skewering. 

Below are the steps you need to take. 

Start by preparing your melons, you will need a melon baller (unless you want to slice/cub your fruit). 

1. remove seeds from rockmelon and discard (shown in photo 1)
2. make melon balls (shown in photo 2)
3. repeat steps 1 and 2 to make your honeydew melon balls (shown in photo 3) 
4. use a knife to cut the prosciutto into portions that fold and bunch easily (shown in photo 4) 

In photo 4 you can also see the rind of the prosciutto, it is white and thin. I find this hard to fold and work with in recipes like this, so if it is not bunching well, I pull it away from the rest of the meat and discard. It is very soft and doesn't easily go on the skewers. 

After we have prepped our fruit and meat, set our ingredients out so that we can easily grab from a bowl of each. Think of this like a production like, you need 1-2 of each ingredient.

• honeydew melon balls
• rockmelon balls
• cherry bocconcini
• proscuitto

Then all you need to do is take your skewers (I used ones that are 15cm ) and push the ingredients onto the skewers one by one and repeat till you are done. 

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Melon and Prosciutto quick info:

About the recipe:

• a melon baller is needed for perfect round melon balls
• the mozarella just needs to be drained (don't rinse)
• this is a vegetarian appetizer recipe
• balsamic vinegar and honey can be served with the skewers

FAQs about prosciutto and melon

1. we use 1 whole rockmelon
2. ½ a honeydew melon
3. prosciutto will be in the fridge section near the ham and bacon
4. the ingredients can be prepped the day ahead and brought together on the day

Your quick questions answered:

1. I got my melon baller from Spotlight
2. for perfect balls press the baller flat and rotate into the fruit 
3. the herb on the platters is rosemary (festive touch)
4. the prosciutto has a salty taste to it 
5. This is an EASY recipe

Expert tips:

In my experience, it is handy to have these in mind as you work:

• start slowly with the melon baller as technique does count. Press into the fruit flatly then rotate. Cut off un-ball-possible portions of fruit (smoothie time with the leftovers)
• the rind of the prosciutto will be too floppy to work with, discard. 
• have the plates of ingredients set out in front of you to easily grab
• don't drizzle or dress your skewers, let people do that for taste and appearance (place the bowls nearby)

APPETIZERS FOR EVERY OCCASION

So many appetizers, so little time, haha but true!! Here is some inspiration for you:

1. Grazing Platter (perfect for a crowd)
2. Baked Brie with Garlic (this is INSANELY delicious!!) 
3. Coconut Prawns (shrimp for my American friends) 
4. Mini Quiches 12 ways (both vego and non vego options)
5. Honey Soy Chicken Wings (family favourite recipe)
6. Chili Lime Chicken Wings (oven baked recipe)
7. Spinach Cob Loaf (dip in a bread bowl)

If cheese is your thing, these 3 recipes all use cheese as a key ingredient: 

• Watermelon Cucumber Salad
• Gluten Free Zucchini Slice
• Zucchini Slice Muffins

A prosciutto and melon platter can be plated like the photo above, with the skewers around the edge and the balsamic in the middle. Or do away with the skewers altogether, plate away and provide a small bowl of toothpicks for easy entertaining! 

Prosciutto Platter ideas:

• add some fresh herbs eg rosemary for a festive Christmas touch
• additional mozarella balls on the platter
• toothpicks for fruit if you don't skewer the fruit
• honey as an additional drizzle option

I like to serve the skewers with a combination of balsamic vinegar and honey. People will gravitate to whichever of the 2 is the taste they prefer. 

📖 Recipe

Please note this recipe was published on 3rd November 2019 and updated on 19th November 2019

Party time food

You guys are going to LOVE making these fruit skewers! 

Fun, easy, colourful and bright, an Italian appetizer which you can nail for your table. Bomb diggity starter with crispy champagne = yes please!! Can we do this right now, haha, but true!!

I want your skewers to rock the socks of your prosciutto platter, give me a shout if you have any questions. I've got you and you have got this platter, all sorted!  

Adrianne xx

P.S. Remember how I said you in the watermelon feta salad that you would use your melon baller for EVERYTHING, haha, case in point RIGHT HERE!! 

If entertaining is your jam, then here are some more recipes to bring pep to your step:

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