Salted Watermelon, Orange and Feta Salad

    Ingredients:

    So here is what you need for 4 servings:
    • 1/2 Watermelon cut into 1 inch slices
    • Salt
    • 2-3 oranges cut into segments
    • 400g Feta Cheese cut into 2cm cubes
    • 250g Mixed Baby Leaves
    • 200g Pumpkin Seeds
    • 100g Caster Sugar
    • Lemon & Mint Dressing (see below for the recipe)
    For the watermelon:
    • Salt the watermelon liberally on both sides. Place on a tray and cling wrap.
    • Place another tray on top and weigh down with a few cans of food.
    • Place in the fridge overnight.
    For the Pumpkin Brittle:
    • Put the sugar in a sauce pan along with a tablespoon of water.
    • Bring to a golden caramel colour then add the pumpkin seeds.
    • Stir around quickly and then pour out onto an oiled tray
    • Allow to cool for several hours then blitz in a blender to pea sized chunks.
    To assemble salad:
    • Wash off the salt from the melon thoroughly in a few changes of water then pat dry with paper towels. The melon should have shrunk and become a much more vivid red colour. This is due to the water loss, which intensifies the flavour.
    • Cut into inch sized cubes, toss together with the orange segments, feta, mixed baby leaves and dress with the lemon and mint dressing.
    • Divide between 4 bowls attractively piling up the ingredients in each bowl.
    • Scatter with pumpkin seed brittle and serve!

    Lemon and Mint Dressing:

    Ingredients
    • Juice and zest 4 lemons
    • 100g Honey
    • 2-3 tbsp Dijon Mustard
    • 200ml White Wine/Sherry Vinegar
    • 600ml Pomace Olive Oil
    • 1 bunch of mint, picked

    Method:

    • Blanch the mint leaves in boiling water for 10 seconds then plunge into cold water immediately. Squeeze out the excess moisture and roughly chop.
    • Place the lemon juice, honey and vinegar in a saucepan and simmer until reduced by a third and allow to cool.
    • Pour into a drinks blender and add the mustard, lemon zest and and half the oil. Blitz on a low setting whilst continuing to drizzle in the remaining oil. If it becomes too thick and mayonnaise like, add a little warm water to thin it out.
    • When the consistency is correct, add the mint and continue to blitz until chopped and incorporated.
    • DO NOT over blend or else the mint will make the dressing muddy brown, you just want the mint incorporated not fully blended.