“Cooking on the grill gives me the nostalgic feeling of being around family during the summer,” says UNI executive chef Tony Messina, who prefers burning Japanese hardwood binchotan charcoal for a clean taste. “From a culinary standpoint, it also gives the food a nuanced flavor that you really can’t achieve with any other cooking method.” Chorizo lends another smoky note to this recipe, balanced out by sweetness from the watermelon, salt from the feta, acid from the lime and a fresh kick from the Thai basil.
GRILLED WATERMELON
Serves 4 people
– 4 slices red watermelon, cut into rectangular blocks about one inch thick
– 1/2 cup lime juice
– 2 ears corn, grilled
– 1 cup crumbled feta cheese
– 1/2 cup Thai basil leaves, torn
– 2 pieces chorizo, crumbled and rendered until crispy (reserve the rendered fat)
– Salt to taste
1. Place the lime juice into a mixing bowl. Slowly whisk in the rendered chorizo fat to make a vinaigrette. Season with salt to taste.
2. Cut the corn from the cob. Lightly toss the corn, feta, chorizo and Thai basil with the vinaigrette.
3. Place the slabs of watermelon on a very hot grill. Leave them on the grill until grill marks appear, about 2 minutes. Grill on all sides.
4. Plate with one-fourth of the salad on each slab of watermelon.
License to Grill
Local chefs are as at home behind the grill as they are in the kitchen. We tapped a few for their favorite summertime eats.
By Meghan Kavanaugh | Photo Credit: Holly Rike | June 2, 2017
Tony Messina of UNI
“Cooking on the grill gives me the nostalgic feeling of being around family during the summer,” says UNI executive chef Tony Messina, who prefers burning Japanese hardwood binchotan charcoal for a clean taste. “From a culinary standpoint, it also gives the food a nuanced flavor that you really can’t achieve with any other cooking method.” Chorizo lends another smoky note to this recipe, balanced out by sweetness from the watermelon, salt from the feta, acid from the lime and a fresh kick from the Thai basil.
GRILLED WATERMELON
Serves 4 people
– 4 slices red watermelon, cut into rectangular blocks about one inch thick
– 1/2 cup lime juice
– 2 ears corn, grilled
– 1 cup crumbled feta cheese
– 1/2 cup Thai basil leaves, torn
– 2 pieces chorizo, crumbled and rendered until crispy (reserve the rendered fat)
– Salt to taste
1. Place the lime juice into a mixing bowl. Slowly whisk in the rendered chorizo fat to make a vinaigrette. Season with salt to taste.
2. Cut the corn from the cob. Lightly toss the corn, feta, chorizo and Thai basil with the vinaigrette.
3. Place the slabs of watermelon on a very hot grill. Leave them on the grill until grill marks appear, about 2 minutes. Grill on all sides.
4. Plate with one-fourth of the salad on each slab of watermelon.
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