Every season has tastes that define it but none more so than summer. Red tomatoes and basil picked from the backyard; peaches so ripe that juice drips off my chin and fingers when I eat them; and nothing beats really cold, crisp watermelon on a hot day.
I start buying watermelons as soon as I see them at the store in early summer. Usually a big bowl of cubes sprinkled with salt is the most elaborate I get but then I saw this recipe for Watermelon with Yogurt and Fried Rosemary in Bon Appétit magazine and I was intrigued. It also helped that I had all the ingredients in the fridge.
I adapted the recipe from that in the magazine just a tad. They tossed their watermelon with grapefruit juice which didn’t seem to be necessary, and left puddles on the yogurt, so I removed that step.
On the yogurt, go with the whole milk variety. It has a much nicer, creamier consistency than low fat.
I especially love the fried rosemary, and the subsequent rosemary oil, so much that I fried up another sprig and used it along with the leftover oil on popcorn and it was amazing. I’ll definitely be making that again.
While I still love a bowl of simple watermelon with salt, this recipe for Watermelon with Yogurt and Fried Rosemary gives me another way to enjoy one of my favorite summer flavors.
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 6˝ sprig of rosemary
- ½ cup plain whole-milk yogurt
- 1 Tbsp honey, agave or maple syrup
- Salt
- 4 cups watermelon, rind removed, cubed
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp poppy seeds
- Heat oil in a small skillet over medium heat.
- Fry rosemary until crisp – about 30 seconds. Transfer to a paper towel to drain. Reserve oil.
- Mix yogurt with sweetener and season with salt. Spread on platter.
- Top yogurt with cubed watermelon.
- Drizzle with a tablespoon of reserved rosemary oil.
- Sprinkle with salt, crumbled rosemary, crushed red pepper flakes and poppy seeds.
