Grilled Cantaloupe with Peach Agrodolce

This elegant dessert from Underbelly's Chris Shepherd is dead-simple to make: Cantaloupe is grilled until it caramelizes and is then dressed with agrodolce, a sour-sweet Italian sauce made by reducing vinegar and sugar. The finished agrodolce will keep in the refrigerator for up to one week; use it on meats, grilled fruit, and ice cream.

What You Will Need

  • Serves

    serves 6

  • Time

    20 minutes

Ingredients

For the Peach Agrodolce

  • 1 cup sugar
  • 14 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 2 peaches, peeled, pitted and diced

For the Grilled Cantaloupe and Serving

  • 1 large cantaloupe, peeled, halved, and seeded, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
  • 14 cup olive oil
  • 1 pint blueberries
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 14 cup torn basil leaves, for garnish

Instructions

Step 1

Bring sugar, vinegar, and peaches to a simmer in a 2-qt. saucepan over medium; cook until peaches are softened and liquid is reduced by half, 10–12 minutes. Set agrodolce aside.

Step 2

Build a medium-heat fire in a charcoal grill, or heat a gas grill to medium. (Alternatively, heat a cast-iron grill pan over medium.) Toss cantaloupe with oil and, working in batches, grill, turning once, until charred all over, 10–12 minutes; transfer to a serving platter with blueberries. Drizzle with agrodolce, season with salt and pepper, and garnish with basil.
  1. Bring sugar, vinegar, and peaches to a simmer in a 2-qt. saucepan over medium; cook until peaches are softened and liquid is reduced by half, 10–12 minutes. Set agrodolce aside.
  2. Build a medium-heat fire in a charcoal grill, or heat a gas grill to medium. (Alternatively, heat a cast-iron grill pan over medium.) Toss cantaloupe with oil and, working in batches, grill, turning once, until charred all over, 10–12 minutes; transfer to a serving platter with blueberries. Drizzle with agrodolce, season with salt and pepper, and garnish with basil.
Recipes

Grilled Cantaloupe with Peach Agrodolce

  • Serves

    serves 6

  • Time

    20 minutes

Houston, Chris Shepherd, Grilling, Cantaloupe
PHOTOGRAPHY BY DREW ANTHONY SMITH

This elegant dessert from Underbelly's Chris Shepherd is dead-simple to make: Cantaloupe is grilled until it caramelizes and is then dressed with agrodolce, a sour-sweet Italian sauce made by reducing vinegar and sugar. The finished agrodolce will keep in the refrigerator for up to one week; use it on meats, grilled fruit, and ice cream.

What You Will Need

Ingredients

For the Peach Agrodolce

  • 1 cup sugar
  • 14 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 2 peaches, peeled, pitted and diced

For the Grilled Cantaloupe and Serving

  • 1 large cantaloupe, peeled, halved, and seeded, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
  • 14 cup olive oil
  • 1 pint blueberries
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 14 cup torn basil leaves, for garnish

Instructions

Step 1

Bring sugar, vinegar, and peaches to a simmer in a 2-qt. saucepan over medium; cook until peaches are softened and liquid is reduced by half, 10–12 minutes. Set agrodolce aside.

Step 2

Build a medium-heat fire in a charcoal grill, or heat a gas grill to medium. (Alternatively, heat a cast-iron grill pan over medium.) Toss cantaloupe with oil and, working in batches, grill, turning once, until charred all over, 10–12 minutes; transfer to a serving platter with blueberries. Drizzle with agrodolce, season with salt and pepper, and garnish with basil.
  1. Bring sugar, vinegar, and peaches to a simmer in a 2-qt. saucepan over medium; cook until peaches are softened and liquid is reduced by half, 10–12 minutes. Set agrodolce aside.
  2. Build a medium-heat fire in a charcoal grill, or heat a gas grill to medium. (Alternatively, heat a cast-iron grill pan over medium.) Toss cantaloupe with oil and, working in batches, grill, turning once, until charred all over, 10–12 minutes; transfer to a serving platter with blueberries. Drizzle with agrodolce, season with salt and pepper, and garnish with basil.

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