Summer’s Don’t-Miss Dish
Is there anything more delicious than cold, ripe watermelon in the heat of summer? Well, yes, actually. When Chef Robert Perez sears watermelon, caramelizing it for this summer dish at The Black Sheep, the iconic red and green fruit is transformed. And it becomes even more delicious.
Chef Perez’s style of cooking is to take fresh ingredients and transform them into a whole new taste sensation—all while sticking to a base of traditional cooking. This recipe was born out of his grandmother’s famous pickled watermelon rinds. He fondly remembers eating the rinds during his childhood in the South, and regrets that he never recorded the recipe.
He tested many recipes to finally get the magic combination for his Picked Watermelon Rind, served with spare ribs or as part of a pickled plate at his new restaurant next door to The Black Sheep, the aptly named Oveja Blanca (White Sheep). The fruit left over is not wasted and becomes a grilled, savory-fruity summer salad at The Black Sheep.
To make the salad, Chef Perez starts with a local, ripe watermelon and cuts it into 3-inch-long rectangles, 1 inch thick—with rind and seeds removed. Sprinkle the watermelon with olive oil, salt and pepper. Make sure the grill is very hot and then place the watermelon on the grill for 2 to 3 minutes to get some nice grill marks. Then, turn it over to about a minute, just to warm the other side.
On a plate, spread some basil oil (or basil-infused olive oil) and then drizzle it with red wine syrup (made by heating 2 parts red wine, 1 part vinegar, 1 part sugar and some rosemary). Top with tomato concassé (blanched, peeled, seeded and chopped tomatoes), toasted pistachios and micro basil.
