Homemade duck prosciutto, goat cheese, arugula, cantaloupe, cucumber, and candied mac-nuts, with blackberry vinaigrette.
This salad boasts a variety of palate popping flavors with its sweet cantaloupe, peppery arugula, refreshing mint and cucumber, salty duck ham, sweet-tart blackberries, and crunchy mac-nuts.
The cantaloupe and cucumber for this salad are cut into ribbons using a mandolin slicer. Meaning that they are shaved into long thin strips. This can also be done with a knife or skipped altogether, cutting the fruit into chunks.
I muddled the blackberries with honey when making the vinaigrette. Muddling the fruit isn’t necessary for the flavor. It’s just a way to break down the fruit and release the juice. Alternatively, the ingredients can be emulsified in a blender or with a hand blender to cut out this step.
I used my easy-to-make duck prosciutto for this salad. You can also purchase it from your local butcher or on amazon. It is a pretty pricey item, so replacing the duck with regular prosciutto is another good substitution.
Duck Prosciutto and Cantaloupe Salad
Ingredients
Blackberry Vinaigrette
- 6 blackberries 1/4 cup
- 1/2 tsp mint chopped
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/8 tsp pepper
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Honeyed Mac-nuts
- 1/4 cup macadamia nuts chopped
- 1 tsp honey
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1/8 tsp salt
Salad
- 1 cup cantaloupe ribbons about 1/8 melon
- 1 cup cucumber ribbons about 1/2 each
- 3 cup arugula
- 14 mint leaves
- 12 blackberries cut in half
- 2-3 tbsp goat cheese
- 16 slices duck prosciutto
Instructions
Blackberry Vinaigrette
- In a small jar muddle the blackberries with salt and honey. Add all the other ingredients and shake until emulsified. Refrigerate until ready to use. Shake the jar again before serving.
Honeyed Mac-nuts
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. On a small sheet pan lined with parchment, combine all the ingredients. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Cool completely and break apart. Store in an airtight container until ready to use.
Salad
- Cut the cantaloupe and cucumber into ribbons using a mandolin slicer. In a bowl combine the ribbons with the arugula and mint leaves. Mix in the dressing and divide between two plates. Top each salad with goat cheese, duck prosciutto, blackberries, and mac-nuts. Serve immediately.
