Wednesday, August 10, 2011

boozy watermelon

I'm a big fan of cocktails before dinner, but with this new no-cook approach (or laziness?) I wanted to make everything ahead of time. And then I remembered this overpriced tequila-infused watermelon I had at a cute little fancified Southern restaurant recently, an idea I wanted to steal and make even better at home. You've probably heard of college kids filling watermelons with vodka and letting them sit overnight to get 80 proof fruit. Well, this is sort of similar.

You slice up a watermelon into little triangles, then let it marinate in a mixture of tequila and lime juice for a few hours. To serve, just arrange the slices on a pretty plate, sprinkle with chili and salt and a little fresh mint leaves. Cocktails on a platter!

If you don't like tequila, you could easily substitute vodka, light rum, or gin. Gin would be fantastic. And mix the herbs to suit your tastes as well--basil, obviously, would be great, but so would cilantro or lemon thyme, if you can get your hands on some.

Boozy watermelon
(Serves 6 to 8)
1 4 1/2 lb. wedge of seedless watermelon
1 cup tequila
2 limes, juiced
Mint leaves from 3 stems of mint
flaky salt
Cayenne pepper

Slice the watermelon into thin wedges, leaving the rind intact. Place the watermelon in a single layer in a turkey pan or deep baking sheet. In a small bowl, combine the tequila and lime juice. Pour the mixture over the melon evenly. Let it sit in the refrigerator for at least two hours. When ready to serve, plate the watermelon (reserve the tequila for future use, if you wish). Sprinkle with a pinch of flaky salt, some cayenne pepper and the mint leaves. Serve immediately.

4 comments:

Casey@Good. Food. Stories. said...

So could you taste the booze this time? I bet your version was a kabillion times better than our restaurant version.

Lisa said...

Yeah, I could. It was much stronger but not TOO strong.

Vanessa said...

Ooh! ooh! Chili-tequila!!

Daniel said...

It was weird: I really liked this watermelon, but then I started a fight with Colin. And then I cried because no one understands me.

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