Watermelon and fior di latte salad with Korean chilli dressing
I love to season dishes with ingredients that add heat, whether that’s pepper, chilli or ginger. My “spicy food heritage” has influenced my palate, but as a professional chef, I find that adding a little warmth rounds out and enhances other flavours, making sweet things taste sweeter, and creaminess taste richer.
Korean chilli flakes (gochugaru) add a vibrant red colour here, and are far less spicy than, say, Thai chillies. Gochugaru is available in coarse and fine flakes, and I recommend coarse for this recipe. The sweet-savoury dressing evokes the flavours of kimchi. Paired with chunks of juicy watermelon and rich fior di latte, it makes this an incredibly refreshing dish to enjoy in the hotter months.
Ingredients
100g daikon radish, sliced thinly on a mandoline
300g ripe watermelon, cut into large chunks
1 large ball fior di latte or buffalo mozzarella, drained
1 bunch shiso (about 50g), leaves picked and washed
Korean chilli dressing
2 tbsp Korean chilli flakes, or to taste
1 tbsp sugar
2 tsp sesame seeds
½ tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tsp light soy sauce
Method
Step 1
To make the Korean chilli dressing, combine the chilli flakes, sugar, sesame seeds, sesame oil, fish sauce, rice vinegar and soy sauce in a small bowl, and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Stir the daikon through the dressing briefly, then remove and set aside.
Step 2
Arrange the watermelon chunks on a serving plate. Tear the fior di latte into large chunks and scatter over the watermelon, then drizzle the remaining dressing over the dish. Arrange the daikon in little mounds through the salad and garnish with shiso leaves. Serve immediately.
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Rosheen Kaul is the former head chef of Melbourne’s Etta, author of the cookbook Chinese-ish, and a Good Food recipe columnist.
