The most common melon in Spain is the Sapo de Piel, literally ‘toad skin’ melon, but it’s often called Christmas melon too because it keeps so well. It’s deliciously sweet when ripe, which is when the skin turns bright yellow between the characteristic dark green markings. It’s fairly freely available these days here too, although it’s most often simply called Spanish melon.
Jan
SPANISH MELON SALAD
Serves 6 as an accompaniment to a main meal
1 medium sapo de piel, deseeded, skinned and cut into bite-sized pieces
5 spring onions, diced
½ bunch Italian parsley, de-stemmed and chopped
½ bunch spearmint leaves, de-stemmed and chopped
Sea salt and a good grinding of pepper
Pinch of sumac
50 gm slivered blanched almonds, toasted in a dry pan
Dressing
1 small lime, juiced (around 30mls)
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
60 mls extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon sea salt
Freshly ground pepper
Combine melon, spring onions and herbs in a large bowl. Mix dressing ingredients together and toss through the salad. Scatter with toasted almonds and sprinkle with sumac.
And if you’d like to make the dish a bit more substantial top it with a few good dollops of Persian feta. Delicious.