Melon Parfait
My grandmother Fumie Mishima was from a different world. Although she had never spoken to me or even to my mother directly about it, I gathered that she had lost her first family during the Second World War. For years following the end of the war, she, like much of the nation, often didn’t have enough to eat; this later translated into extreme thriftiness when it came to food. As a kid, I was appalled at how she would fetch half of a mealy apple from a dish in the refrigerator, cut a few slices for dinner, and then return it to the refrigerator for the next meal. I swear, she could make one sad apple last a week. She refused to waste food.
This created a problem when, in my early twenties, I presented her with a foil-wrapped “gift” melon, which had cost me, even twenty years ago, about $70. It was one of those Yubari green melons that are grown with just several to a vine so as to concentrate their flavor and sweetness. Clearly, for my grandmother, something so expensive and rare was too special to eat. So, there it sat in the refrigerator, getting riper and riper. When I finally insisted we cut it open, it was impossibly fragrant and sweet but also nearly liquid inside. She had let it go too long! I had started working as a pastry assistant and had the clever idea of turning the juice into a granita to salvage what was a near catastrophe. That batch of melon granita, too, lasted for a week, coming in and out of the freezer to be eaten a couple of spoonfuls at a time.
If I were to go back in time, knowing what I know now, I probably would have transformed that fancy melon into jelly. In Japan, fruit jellies, made with actual fruit juice, are incredibly popular and often served layered in a parfait glass with whipped cream or ice cream.
Throughout the year, parfaits appear on the menu at Rintaro, my San Francisco restaurant, showcasing jellies made from the best seasonal fruit. But my favorite is green melon parfait. I use a variety of melon called Piel de Sapo. It’s similar to a honeydew, but when they are good, they are intensely fragrant with a flavor that reminds me of that melon I gave to my grandmother. If you can’t find Piel de Sapo, use the most fragrant melon you can find. Charentais, which is similar to a cantaloupe, works well, as do muskmelons and canary melons. While sweetness can be an indication of flavor, remember you can always add more sugar. It is the strong flavor you’re after. If you can’t find a green melon that’s overwhelmingly fragrant but you really want to make this parfait, it’s not terrible to add a couple of tablespoons of green Midori, the Japanese liquor made from the famous Yubari King and muskmelon.
This recipe was excerpted from ‘Rintaro' by Sylvan Mishima Brackett. Buy the full book on Amazon.
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What you’ll need
Agar Agar
$7 At Amazon
Gelatin
$21 At Amazon
Powdered Sugar
$9 At Amazon
Ingredients
Serves 4
For the melon juice
For the sauce
Step 1
To make the juice: Cut the melon in half lengthwise. Scrape out the seeds with a large spoon into a wire-mesh strainer, set over a medium bowl, to catch the juices.
Step 2
Cut one of the melon halves in half again lengthwise and set aside a quarter for garnish. Scoop out the melon flesh from the remaining three quarters into the bowl, using a spoon to scrape close to the rind, where the flesh is deeper in color (this will improve the color of the jellies).
Step 3
Transfer the flesh to a food processor and process until liquefied. Pour the pureed fruit through the strainer into a clean medium bowl. Use a spoon to gently stir the puree and encourage the juice to strain but don’t push any of the fibers through the strainer. Discard the solids, then pass the liquid through the strainer again into a clean bowl and then back again into the original bowl.
Line the strainer with damp paper towels and strain a fin l time. The juice should be absolutely clear; you should have at least 1 cup of clear juice.Step 4
To season the juice: Add 3 tablespoons of the granulated sugar, 1½ teaspoons of the lemon juice, and a very small pinch of salt to the bowl with the juice. Since the sweetness of every melon is different, you will have to taste carefully for seasoning. The seasoned juice should be as sweet as a soft drink; the lemon should balance the sweetness and enhance the flavor of the melon with its acidity, but it shouldn’t taste lemony. Add the remaining sugar and lemon juice, if necessary. You should have about 1½ cups of seasoned juice.
Step 5
To make the jellies: In a small saucepan over medium heat, whisk ¼ cup of the seasoned juice with the kanten. Bring to a boil, whisking constantly. When the juice boils, remove the pan from the heat and whisk in ¾ cup of the seasoned juice. Immediately pour the mixture into a 4 x 4-inch pan; the liquid should be about 1-inch deep. Pop any bubbles that form at the surface. Let cool to room temperature, undisturbed; the jelly will set. Cover and refrigerate until cold or for up to 1 day.
Step 6
To make the sauce: In a small saucepan over low heat, whisk the remaining ½ cup of seasoned juice with the gelatin. Warm gently, just until the gelatin dissolves and the mixture registers around 110° to 120°F on an instant-read thermometer (the temperature of a very hot bath). Be careful not to overheat the juice, since its flavor will quickly deteriorate. Pour the juice into a bowl and chill in the refrigerator for about an hour until thickened; it should be the consistency of cold maple syrup.
Step 7
To assemble: Chill four parfait glasses. Remove the jellies from the refrigerator and cut them into sixteen pieces, each 1-inch square.
Step 8
Pour the heavy cream into a chilled bowl, add the confectioners’ sugar, and whisk until medium peaks form. Slice the remaining quarter of the melon widthwise into ¼-inch slices.
Step 9
Place a cube of melon jelly at the base of each dish. Spoon in 1 tablespoon of the sauce. Layer with a spoonful of whipped cream and a small scoop of vanilla ice cream. Arrange three cubes of melon jelly around the ice cream. Stack a second small scoop of ice cream on top. Spoon on 1 more tablespoon of sauce and top with a small dollop of whipped cream. Garnish with the melon slices and a few cookies. Serve immediately.
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