If You’ve Never Tried Grilling Watermelon, You’re Missing Out!
As soon as summer arrives and the sun begins to shine, there’s nothing better than munching on a piece of tasty summer fruit, and watermelon is one of my favorites. But have you ever tried grilling watermelon?! It might seem a little strange to cook with such a juicy fruit, but it works really well. Just pop a few slices of watermelon on your BBQ or griddle pan until the sugars in the fruit caramelize and dark char lines appear. The end result is sweeter and more dessert-like than raw watermelon. Served alongside a dollop of citrus whipped cream, it’s perfect when you want a summery dessert that’s still nice and light.
Ingredients:
Makes approximately 32 small pieces
— 1 orange
— 1 lime
— 1 lemon
— 1 1/4 cups whipping cream
— 3 Tablespoons powdered sugar
— 1 small watermelon
— Small bunch fresh mint
Instructions:
1. Zest the orange, lime and lemon. You want around a teaspoon of each kind of zest, so you may not need to zest the whole fruit.
2. Add the fruit zest to a large bowl along with the whipping cream and powdered sugar. Whisk well until it forms firm peaks (so when you lift the whisk out of the cream, peaks will hold their shape but have soft tips).
3. Cut the watermelon into thick slices and cut each slice into quarters.
4. Place a griddle pan over a very high heat and allow it to heat up. Place some watermelon in the pan and cook for around 1 minute on each side, or until dark char lines appear.
5. Serve the grilled watermelon with the citrus whipped cream, fresh mint and some more citrus zest if desired.
Zest the orange, lime and lemon. You want around a teaspoon of each kind of zest, so you may not need to zest the whole fruit.
Add the fruit zest to a large bowl along with the whipping cream and powdered sugar. Whisk well until it forms firm peaks (so when you lift the whisk out of the cream, peaks will hold their shape but have soft tips). With an electric whisk, this may only take a couple of minutes; with a hand whisk, it will take longer.
Cut the watermelon into thick slices and cut each slice into quarters.
Place a griddle pan over a very high heat and allow it to heat up. Place some watermelon in the pan and cook for around one minute each side, or until dark char lines appear. I found it easiest to use tongs to turn my watermelon over. Always pick the watermelon up by the rind, as the centre becomes soft as it cooks.
Serve the grilled watermelon with the citrus whipped cream, fresh mint and some more citrus zest if desired. The fruit will have an extra sweet caramel flavor, and it goes perfectly with the zesty whipped cream.
Don’t think you have to stop at just one slice — it’s just fruit so dig in!
What’s your favorite light and summery dessert? Share your favorites on Twitter @BritandCo!
