Trattoria Marcella's Cantaloupe Soup


trattoria marcella's cantaloupe soup
trattoria marcella's cantaloupe soup photo by carmen troesser


Who doesn’t love prosciutto e melone? At Trattoria Marcella, chef and owner Steve Komorek takes the summer staple one step further, adding bright lime juice and rich cream to the sweetness of puréed cantaloupe. He tops it off with a sprinkle of crispy prosciutto, a crumble of blue cheese and a few liqueur-soaked raisins – which elevates this Italian classic from simple to sublime.


Ingredients

½ cup golden raisins
Amaretto
2 Tbsp. canola oil
5 slices prosciutto, julienned
2 medium cantaloupes
Juice of 2 limes
2 oz. honey
Pinch salt and a few grinds of freshly cracked black pepper
½ cup 40-percent heavy cream
½ cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
¼ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley



Preparation

• Place the raisins in a bowl and add Amaretto to cover. Set aside.
• Heat the oil in a sauté pan and fry the prosciutto until crispy. Drain on paper towels.
• Seed the cantaloupe and cut it into cubes.
• Purée the cantaloupe in a food processor, working in batches if necessary.
• Transfer the purée to a bowl and add the lime juice, honey, salt, pepper and cream. Stir to combine thoroughly.
• Portion the soup into chilled bowls.
• Top each bowl with a little bit of the cheese, the prosciutto, the Amaretto-soaked raisins and parsley.
• Serve immediately.