Hello from self employment! One day in and I’d already describe it as a complete disaster. I went to the Apple store this morning to get a new Macbook, but Apple have run out of Macbooks. What a country! The journey home was a moist, mulchy slog, but I did grab an iced brown sugar espresso from Starbucks, which was pretty special. I make a lot of cold brew and I’m already wondering how to make my own version of this.
This week’s Scraps is about the cooling power of watermelon. I actually put this issue together a couple of weeks ago when poor Rob had Covid. We don’t have enough room to isolate here, so we just meekly danced around each other for a few days until he tested negative. Under the assumption I’d get Covid myself, I didn’t stray too far from the flat, so on one trip to the shops, I grabbed one of those comically large watermelons for about £3. I knew having some thick wedges in the fridge would provide some refreshing respite, but I wanted to do more with it, too. What could I do with the leftover flesh? What could I do with the rind? The answers, friends, are here.
1. Watermelon rind tequila
This recipe (recipe! I am using the term liberally) is a really good way to use up the watermelon rinds after you eat all the good bits. Because of this, you should kind of not cut the flesh off the rinds perfectly, as the leftover watermelon will impart tons of flavour.
Did I measure anything? No, no I did not. But I can tell you this: I shoved as much rind in a jar as I could, and topped it up with tequila (gin or vodka would also be great). I kept it in the fridge and every day I gave it a shake to kind of dislodge some watermelon bits and just keep it all moving forward. After seven days, I strained it. I actually used a coffee filter to strain it to make sure there wasn’t any fibrous bits of fruit ending up in here; I wanted clean and clear, not cloudy.
This stuff is absolutely banging topped up with tonic water or soda (Sprite, with its lemon-lime notes, would be a great lengthener too). I’d try a shot in any tequila cocktails, too, like a margarita. If you have leftover watermelon, freeze it and chuck it in the blender with your next batch of frozen cocktails, and trickle some of this tequila in, too.
Speaking of which…
2. Margarita salt
I saw a recipe on Bon Appetit for stone fruit with furikake — a Japanese seasoning blend that includes crushed nori flakes and sesame seeds. It’s sort of salty and minerally and a bit funky. I have some in the cupboards, as well as togarashi, which is a similar seasoning made with chili flakes and dried orange peel. Buy a jar and you can sprinkle it on noodle dishes, roast chicken, even new potatoes or French fries.
That combination of spice, salt, and heat contrasting with refreshing fruit was on my mind when I started developing this margarita salt. I wanted to emulate the spiced rim you get on margaritas and dip the tip of our watermelon wedges into it, so I started reading a few recipes to see if I could figure something out.
First, the salt. I went with 1/2 a cup maldon flakes, which I like for their texture. Next, two tablespoons of lime zest. A 1/4 cup of sugar, just to calm the salt down a bit, and a tablespoon of aleppo chilli flakes. These are mild, almost fruity, finely ground chilli flakes and they’re perfect for this. Next, with my fingers, I rubbed everything together — this is a good trick when using lime zest as it helps the zest release the oils, and everything will start to smell fragrant.
When you’re ready to serve, scatter some of the salt in a dish and lightly press the watermelon into it. A little goes a long way — too much salt isn’t good for you, even if it is delicious. But you could experiment with the ratios and the flavours, too — orange zest might be nice, or even the slight scorch of cayenne pepper.
For your leftover watermelon, I’d be tempted to try this salad with crispy, frazzled onions and fish sauce. It would be also nice with any crunchy toasted peanuts, cashews, or sesame seeds.
As ever, let me know what you’re making! Until next time.
C.