From Eric Pateman, President and Founder of Edible BC
Photo & food styling: Leeanne Munn
This beautiful creation serves 8
Soup
- 4 cups (1L) watermelon, peeled and coarsely chopped
- 1 stalk fresh lemongrass, finely minced
- 4 Tbsp (60mL) finely minced shallot
- 1½ Tbsp (22mL) finely minced fresh young ginger
- 4 Kaffir lime leaves, finely julienned
- 1 Tbsp (15mL) finely chopped garlic
- 1½ Tbsp (22mL) peanut oil
- 1 small hot Thai chili, or to taste (seeds removed), chopped fine
- 1 cup (250mL) coconut cream
- 2 Tbsp (30mL) fresh Kaffir or Magrut lime juice
- ¾ tsp (4mL) salt, or to taste
- pepper to taste
Chop watermelon into large cubes and make sure all the seeds are removed. Place in a large bowl.
Remove 1 or 2 outer leaves of lemongrass and trim. Thinly slice lower 5–6 in. (12–15cm) of stalk and then finely mince.
Add oil to a large saucepan and heat to moderately low. Cook lemongrass, lime leaves, shallot, ginger, chili, and garlic, stirring, until garlic is pale golden, about 5 minutes. Add the watermelon and simmer over medium heat until the watermelon has mostly broken down (approximately 20 minutes).
Remove watermelon mixture from heat, then use a stick blender to purée the soup while adding the coconut cream, lime juice, salt and pepper to taste, and blend until smooth.
Season soup with more chili, lime juice, and salt & pepper, if desired. Pour soup through a sieve into a bowl, pressing to extract all the flavours. Chill soup, uncovered, about 3 hours, if serving cold.
Crab Salad
- ½ lb (250g) fresh Dungeness crab
- ¼ cup (60mL) finely chopped fresh cilantro
Shred the crabmeat with your hands, being sure to remove any shells that you find.
Add the chopped cilantro and toss lightly.
Divide crab salad among 8 soup plates, mounding in centre, and pour the soup around it. Garnish with a slice of Kaffir lime, if you like.
