Summery Nectarine & Prosciutto Salad

‘Tis the season to be merry and this Summery Nectarine & Prosciutto Salad smacks of Christmas. It’s a must have on the menu for summertime festive season entertaining. It’s bright and colourful and will certainly get those tastebuds salivating while adding a dash of Christmas cheer to your table. Served on a bed of peppery rocket with fresh mint and pomegranate seeds, it’s packed with an explosion of flavour that is sweet, salty and savoury at the same time. Whether your Christmas day feast includes a roasted turkey and ham, or a seafood fiesta, this fresh, fruity salad is guaranteed to be a hit with all.

But what really makes it the perfect salad for entertaining en masse, is that it’s a no fuss, easy to make ahead recipe that can be assembled within minutes of serving. For a vegan version, simply leave off the Prosciutto.

Ingredients

• Nectarines
• Prosciutto
• Pomegranate Seeds
• Rocket
• Mint
• Garlic
• Seeded Mustard
• Olive Oil
• Red White vinegar
• Brown Sugar
• Salt & Cracked Pepper

Cheat Sheet Tips for a perfect summery salad

• Choose nectarines that are just ripe ready. If they are too ripe and soft, it will be difficult to remove the pips without bruising the fruit.
• To cut the nectarine or any stone fruit into halves, gently slice the nectarine around the natural “seam” making sure you cut down to the pip. Then gently twist the fruit open into halves.
• If the pip is difficult to remove, try ease a teaspoon under the pip to leverage it out smoothly.
• You can marinade the nectarine slices up to 4 hours ahead of time. But make sure that you do toss them around in the vinaigrette periodically to ensure that they marinade evenly.

• With the vinaigrette you are looking for a savoury yet tangy flavour delivered by the red wine vinegar
• For a creamy consistency, use a micro planner to mince/grate the garlic

Print Recipe

Summery Nectarine & Prosciutto Salad

Dinner, Lunch, Entertaining – Continental, Fusion

By Mrs Robinson – Serves: 8-12

Prep Time: 30 minutes Total Time: 30 minutes excluding the marinading time

This summery salad is full of Christmas Cheer. It's a bright and colourful feast for the eyes salad that's guaranteed to get those tastebuds salivating. Served on a bed of peppery rocket with fresh mint and pomegranate seeds, it's packed with an explosion of flavour that is sweet, salty and savoury at the same time. Whether your Christmas day feast includes a roasted turkey and ham, or a seafood fiesta, this fresh, fruity salad is guaranteed to be a hit with all.

Ingredients

• 6 Nectarines
• 200g Proscuitto slices
• 1 Large Packet of Rocket
• Seeds from half a Pomegranate
• 4 Large Sprigs of Mint, leaves removed and shredded
• Vinaigrette
• 2/3 Cup Olive Oil
• 80ml Red White vinegar
• 1 Garlic Clove minced
• 2 Large Sprigs of Mint, leaves removed and chopped finely
• 1/2 Teaspoon Seeded Mustard
• 1 Level Teaspoon Brown Sugar
• Salt & Cracked Pepper

Instructions

Red Wine Vinaigrette

1

Add all the vinaigrette ingredients to a bowl and whisk together until well blended

2

Season with salt and pepper to taste

3

Set aside while you prep the Nectarines

Nectarine Preparation

4

Cut the nectarines in half and remove the pip

5

Cut the halves into quarters (8 segments per nectarine)

6

Put the nectarine segments into a ceramic bowl and pour over the red wine vinaigrette, tossing them until uniformly covered

7

Cover the bowl with cling wrap and put in the fridge

8

Toss the nectarines in the dressing from time to time to ensure that they are evenly marinaded

To Serve

9

Remove the nectarines from the fridge about 10 minutes before serving

10

Wrap the nectarine segments loosely with slices of prosciutto

11

Arrange on a generous bed of rocket

12

Sprinkle over the Pomegranate seeds

13

Drizzle over the remaining vinaigrette marinade

14

Add a generous sprinkling of cracked pepper

Notes

For a vegan version, simply leave off the prosciutto