Return of a Classic - Prosciutto & Melon

"This is sooo good. Remember when prosciutto and melon was the first course at every wedding you went to for 10 years straight? " I hadn't really thought about it this way but my sister-in-law was absolutely right. I'd just served the most unimaginative starter ever. 

Was my cuisine dated? Was I a hack? All these thoughts crossed my mind as I set about putting an even bigger dent in the bottle of rose we'd been draining by the minute.  Thankfully it only took another bite of the paper-thin, velvety prosciutto against the sweetest and most fragrant Sugar Kiss Melon to come back to reality. Nah, I'm not a hack. This is beyond delicious.

Prosciutto & Melon, Photo: NK

And so it goes with the classics, those easy dishes that enjoy great popularity, sometimes to their detriment, they're classic for a reason, but that's not an excuse to phone it in. When you're serving a starter thats simplicity has made it exceedingly popular, it's all about the execution. If you miss the mark there, you'll find yourself in lukewarm wedding banquet territory in the blink of an eye.

I'll give you an example: Pigs in a Blanket are everyone's favorite casual party bite. Even when they're bad, they're good, but how much better and more memorable are they when they're great? My philosophy is simple: if you're going to serve something that's been done to death, make sure it's the best they ever had, or close! To that end, here are a few great Pigs in a Blanket Recipes with a twist HERE and HERE.

As for the ubiquitous Prosciutto & Melon itself, it's actually a pretty classic and legit Italian starter, not just popular here in America. While you're feeling good about that, check out my easy tips on how to do this rightfully well-loved dish justice.

Prosciutto & Melon, How To:

Only the best. If you can, spend a little extra on the Imported Prosciutto. Here in America, we only see a few types consistently (San Daniele or di Parma, for example), but there are actually inumerable varieties of Italy's king of the cured meats. Secondly, do not, I repeat, do not attempt this dish if your Melon isn't perfectly ripe and gorgeous. We used Sugar Kiss Melon, which is like a Cantaloupe but smaller, because it's in-season now. If Honeydew is better, use that. And finally, if you can't find ripe Melon or the season is just off, serve something else. This dish only sings when each individual component is at its peak (that principle also happens to be the essence of fresh, simple Italian cuisine). 

Consider your format. Is your dish for a cocktail party, a sit down first course, a passable hors d'oeuvre?? Decide on how your presentation will best fit the needs of your guests. In other words, how will you cut your Melon? When served individually, Prosciutto and Melon will usually be presented as one large wedge of Cantaloupe with a ribbon of Prosciutto draped around it. In today's dish, we opted for a sharable platter of Melon cut quite small as you see above - two or three bites a piece, because our event was a casual Barbecue. For a cocktail party, throw the ingredients right on a stick! 

Don't forget plating.  So, so important and a key commandment here at Neurotic Kitchen! Good plating can make the difference between lazy and luxurious. Take your time with it, sketch it out even, and, please, don't forget to garnish. I always add something green to my Prosciutto and Melon, such as Mint (my favorite, pictured above), Italian Parsley, or baby Arugula. And I never serve this dish without sprinkling the assembled platter or plates with Lemon Juice and then garnishing with Lemon Wedges. Lemon just brings out the flavors even more. 

There you have it. Easy doesn't have to me uninspired. Buon appetito! 

St. Patrick's Shortcut - Beef and Guinness Pot Pie

Though we aren't even a little Irish, we can't resist using the upcoming St.Patrick's Day holiday as an excuse to share our shortcut version of Beef and Guinness Pot Pie. Guinness, or really any dark Irish stout, makes a welcome addition to many recipes. Here, its rich flavor lends incredible depth to the filling of our pot pie. 

Beef and Guinness Pot Pie, Photo: NK 

A natural match to Chocolate, Guinness even works well as a dessert ingredient.  

Plated and Ready to Eat! Photo:NK

Rest assured, today's Beef and Guinness Pot Pie is faster and less painless than many other versions I've seen because it cuts out the slow cooking of the beef and eliminates any pesky crust assembly by using frozen Puff Pastry Dough. 

Our trick is to simply use less of a more tender cut of meat, in this case Sirloin rather than Chuck, cut it into bite-sized cubes, and quickly pan fry it. We amp up the meaty factor with the addition of big chunks of juicy Portobello Mushroom Caps. 

The rest of the Pot Pie filling comes together in about 20 minutes, after which point you need only to cool it, top with Puff Pastry Dough, and bake a quick 20 minutes to golden perfection. Best of all, you won't need the luck of the Irish to perfect this easy recipe. 

To make this even more accessible, we chose to prepare our Pot Pie family style using a 5x9 rectangular ceramic baker. A  metal or pyrex loaf pan would work equally well. Because the Pot Pie filling is really fully cooked on the stove before you even assemble the Pastry, this recipe is easily adaptable to any size oven-proof vessel, whether individual or larger sized, that you have on hand.  Also, who doesn't love an excuse to crack a Guinness while you cook? Buy a tall boy - never hurts to have a bit leftover... (pro tip!).
Enjoy and happy St. Pat's to all. 

Shortcut Beef, Guinness, and Mushroom Pot Pie
Adapted from Gourmet
Serves 3 to 4

Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil 
A 1 Pound Sirloin Steak - about a half an inch thick, cut into 1 inch chunks
2 Portobello Mushroom Caps, sliced into half inch slices and again in thirds
3 Tablespoons Flour, divided
1/2 teaspoon Pepper
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/3 Cup Carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/2 inch pieces
1/2 a large Sweet Onion, roughly chopped 
3 sprigs of Thyme plus more for garnish 
1 Cup Beef Broth
1 Cup Guinness Irish Stout 
1.5 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
1.5 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
1 Tablespoon Cornstarch
1 Egg, lightly beaten 
1 sheet Puff Pastry, fully defrosted (we use Pepperidge Farms)

Method: 
Lay out Puff Pastry to defrost. Cover with Saran wrap to prevent it from hardening.

Position a rack towards the lower middle of your oven and preheat oven to 350. 

Heat Oil over medium high heat in a very large, high sided saute pan. 
In a bowl, toss the Beef Cubes with 2 Tablespoons Flour, Salt and Pepper. 
Place in the pan and saute for 4-5 minutes turning frequently until cooked to just a bit over medium rare. Remove beef to a plate. 

Reduce flame to medium. 
Deglaze the saute pan with a 1/2 cup of the Beef Broth, scaping up any of the browned bits. 

Carrots, Mushroom, Onion, Photo: NK

Add Mushrooms and Carrots and cook until firm but slightly tender, about 5 minutes. 

Add Onions and sweat them until close to translucent, stirring occasionally, about another 5 minutes. 


Add Tomato Paste, and return Beef Chunks and any juices to the pan.

Stir in the remaining 1/2 Cup of Beef Broth, the Cup of Guinness, and the Worcestershire Sauce. 

Remove a small amount of liquid from the pan to a small bowl. Stir in the remaining Tablespoon of flour to bowl, blend, and return to the pan. Remove another small amount of liquid from the pan to a small bowl and stir in the Tablespoon of Cornstarch. Blend, and return liquid to the pan. 

Toss in the Thyme Sprigs and lower heat to a simmer. Let cook for 10 minutes or until the mixture thickens and seems stew-like in consistency. 

Remove Thyme Sprigs and discard.

Turn off the heat and allow the filling to cool for at least 20 minutes. A too-hot filling will melt the raw Puff Pastry Dough. 

Filling, Photo: NK

Beat One Egg if you haven't already. 

Lightly paint the edges of your baking pan with the Egg Wash to help the Puff Pastry adhere. Fill your baking vessel with the Pot Pie Filling and carefully lay to Puff Pastry on top, trimming the sides with a kitchen scissors and pinching around the edges to adhere. 

The middle may sag a bit, but don't worry about this. Paint the rest of the Egg Wash all over the Puff Pastry so that it browns nicely.

That's supposed to be a Shamrock, not a palm tree, Photo: NK

Place in the oven and bake for about 20 minutes until the crust is golden brown and the interior is hot. You can continue to bake another 5 if you need to, but keep an eye on it to ensure crust does not burn.

To serve, slice some pieces of crust off with a knife and carefully set aside. Scoop out filling into bowls and top with Crust and a garnish of Thyme. Enjoy!



To reheat already baked pot pies, 30 minutes at 350 should be just right. 

Photo: NK