I certainly can't claim to take any credit for this recipe, for a start it's really just a technique - and it's not even mine... The subject of compressed watermelon came up last year on twitter, and an Australian chef,
Michael Moore posted a picture of it! I'd seen pictures in a few books, one had a cube with a tiny scoop cut out and a drop of watermelon, and
Catherine Loubet mentioned that
Bruno also has a variation. So, I'm hoping that you won't notice that it's November, and technically out of season - because I had to give it a go with my new gadget. Michael recommends compressing at 15 bar psi, and leaving it for at least two days. I haven't quite worked out how to do that yet, so I compressed it at the normal psi, but for a shorter period of time, around 20 seconds. I popped in some basil oil, and himalayan pink salt. This is it curing... I have to say it tastes fantastic. The first batch never made it to an audience - I ate the lot :0&
