This flavoured salt is an incredibly versatile condiment. Turn cantaloupe or honeydew melon wedges from a kids’ snack into a thrilling grown-up nibble: arrange cut melon cubes on a platter and sprinkle with the spicy salt.
Mix the flavoured salt with rice flour, then coat calamari or chicken before frying it.
This recipe is from chef Sam Massari and features in my first cookbook, In the Mix: Great Thermomix Recipes.
Makes about 150 grams
Time: 10 minutes
Ingredients
- 6 limes, zest only, peeled in strips
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 6 cardamom pods
- 6 star anise
- 20 Kaffir lime leaves
- 10 grams (0.35 oz) Szechuan peppercorns
- 10 grams (0.35 oz) chilli flakes, or dried chillies
- 15 grams (0.5 oz) coriander seeds
- 20 grams (0.7 oz) salt flakes, such as Murray River salt or Maldon sea salt
- cubed melon, to serve
Method
1. Place all ingredients into the mixing bowl and toast for 7 min/100°C (212°F)/speed 2 until fragrant.
2. Blitz for 1 min/speed 10 until the spices become a fine powder.
How easy was that? Sprinkle over cubed melon for a sparky pre-dinner conversation starter!
Tips
- The salt can also be tossed with nuts and a drizzle of olive oil, then roasted in the oven at 180°C for 10 minutes, or until the nuts are toasted.
- It is also great tossed with popcorn and roast vegetables, such as sweet potato wedges, or you can stir roughly 10 grams of the salt through mayonnaise for an added kick.
- If melon doesn’t do it for you, try dipping halved grapes into the crumb.
- Will keep for a month in an airtight container in the fridge.
Serve cubed melon sprinkled with Chilli & Lime Crumb alongside icy cold glasses of Frosé – the drink that swept New York last summer.
Subscribe for more great recipes, and to see how I use the limes to make my Peach Margarita or Casa Daiquiri.
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