Ease of Preparation: Easy
Yield: Serves 6-8 as an appetizer
Kombucha Compressed Watermelon
Impress your guests with this summery, modernist dish! Fresh, juicy watermelon is compressed and infused with funky, effervescent kombucha and rounded out with peppery watercress, tingly Sichuan pepper and toasty sesame seeds.
Ingredients:
Compressed Watermelon:
- ½ watermelon, cut into 5-inch by 5-inch by 1-inch (12.5 cm by 12.5 cm by 2.5 cm) pieces
- 4 cups (950 ml) cranberry kombucha, plus more as needed
Sichuan-Pistachio Crust:
- ¼ cup (30 ml) toasted sesame seeds
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) flakey sea salt
- 2 limes, zest only
- ½ cup (80 ml) pistachios, crushed
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) Sichuan peppercorns, ground in spice grinder
Dressed Watercress:
- 1 bunch watercress
- 1 lime, juice
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil
- Salt
Method:
For the Compressed Watermelon:
Add each piece of watermelon to its own medium vacuum sealer bag. Seal the bags on high, removing all the air and gently compressing the melon.
Let the bags sit undisturbed for 2 minutes.
Remove the melon from the bags, placing them in a medium sized bowl.
Pour the kombucha over the melon, adding more to cover if needed. Marinate for 1-4 hours at room temperature, flipping every 30 minutes.
For the Sichuan-Pistachio Crust:
Add sesame seeds, sea salt, lime zest, pistachio, and Sichuan peppercorn to a plate. Combine evenly and set aside.
For the Dressed Watercress:
Place the watercress in a medium sized bowl, dress with lime juice and olive oil. Season with salt and toss gently to combine.
To Assemble:
Slice watermelon into long rectangles, roughly 4 x 1 ½ x 1 ½ inches (10 x 3.75 x 3.75 cm).
Dip one face of the rectangles into Sichuan-pistachio crust.
Plate the melons, crust side up, alongside dressed watercress on chilled serving plates.
Serve immediately.