Jill Wine-Banks’ Favorite Watermelon Recipes
#SistersInLaw discussed their favorite summer recipes on the June 18, 2023 episode, and Jill Wine-Banks shared her favorite watermelon recipes.
CHILLED WATERMELON SOUP
One bowl contains 90 calories and almost zero fat.
Makes 4 servings.
1-inch piece ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1 tbsp brown sugar
2 limes: one for zest and both for juice
3 cups cubed and seeded watermelon
2 mint leaves, plus more for garnish
1/4 cup sparkling wine (or sparkling water)
In a small nonstick skillet, gently sauté ginger, sugar, and zest over medium heat 2 minutes. Add lime juice and simmer until no liquid remains. Transfer mixture to a blender and add watermelon, mint, and sparkling wine. Puree until smooth; strain with sieve into bowl. Chill soup at least 3 hours before serving. For a more elegant version: Divide soup into 2 equal portions. Freeze a portion for 3 hours to make a granité (a slushy of sorts) and chill remaining half for 3 hours. Scrape granité into 4 bowls and pour chilled soup over granité. Garnish with mint leaves; serve immediately.
Nutritional analysis per serving: 90 calories, 0.5 g fat (0 g saturated fat), 20 g carbohydrates, 1 g fiber
Grilled Watermelon Burgers with Goat Cheese and Charred Orange-Fennel Gremolata
Makes 4 burgers
- 1 small orange
- 1 cup roughly chopped fennel fronds
- 1-2 fat cloves of garlic
- 2 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
- 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
- Freshly cracked black pepper
- 4 slices of watermelon, 1 1/2-2″ thick
- Olive oil
- Chevre or whatever cheese you like (I recommend sheep and goat cheeses)
- 4 square ciabatta buns, or a good crusty baguette cut into sandwich-sized portions
Preheat your grill for high heat direct cooking and rub the grates down with a wadded paper towel dipped in cooking oil (set aside to use again later).
Use a microplane to zest the orange and pulverize the garlic into a small bowl with the fennel fronds.
Slice the orange in half, rub lightly with olive oil, and place cut-side down directly over the fire. Cook for a minute or two until the oranges become deeply charred, then juice them into the bowl with the fennel. Stir in the white wine vinegar and kosher salt, then cover and set aside at room temperature while you make the burgers.
Use the bread as a guide to cut perfectly sized watermelon burger “patties,” then coat them well with olive oil and season them with a sprinkle of kosher salt. Rub the grill grates with the oily paper towel once again, then put the burgers directly over the flames. Cook for about 5-7 minutes per side, moving around the grill as needed to keep from burning.
Toast the buns lightly, then top with watermelon, cheese, a few coarse cracks of black pepper, and a few spoonfuls of the gremolata. Serve immediately.
Watermelon Rind Salad (Moroccan Inspired)
Candied Watermelon Rind with Mint Sugar