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Prosciutto-Wrapped Melon Bites

Sweet chilled melon, silky prosciutto, fresh mint, and a restrained pepper finish make a no-cook bite that travels well.

Prosciutto-wrapped cantaloupe bites sit in one layer with fresh mint and cracked pepper.

These small melon bites balance cool sweetness with the savory salt of prosciutto, and cocktail picks make them easy to pass. Use one ripe cantaloupe, or choose honeydew as a complete replacement when that is the melon at hand.

Start with a sound, ripe melon

A ripe cantaloupe feels heavy and smells sweet at the blossom end, with only a slight give; its netted rind should be intact. If replacing it with honeydew, choose one with creamy pale rind, a sweet aroma, and no soft spots.

Cut pieces that stay easy to eat

After washing and drying the rind, remove the seeds and peel, then cut the flesh into 24 similarly sized pieces. Compact wedges hold together on a pick and are comfortable to eat while standing.

Cold cantaloupe pieces and prosciutto strips are arranged for wrapping into appetizer bites. — Cold melon pieces wait beside narrow prosciutto strips before wrapping.

Wrap gently

Halving each prosciutto slice gives enough narrow strips for the full platter. Set the overlap underneath and secure it with a pick, keeping the wrap snug but loose enough that the melon keeps its shape.

Pack it for passing

A shallow platter keeps the bites in a single layer and leaves each pick within easy reach. Cover it for travel, keep it cold in an insulated carrier with a cold pack, and add the mint and cracked pepper at serving time.

A close view shows prosciutto tucked around cold cantaloupe with mint and pepper. — A lightly peppered melon bite shows the prosciutto seam tucked below.

Prosciutto-Wrapped Melon Bites

6 people

10 minutes total

Ingredients

•
• 8 oz thinly sliced prosciutto (about 12 slices)
• 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves
• 1/4 tsp coarsely cracked black pepper
• 24 wooden cocktail picks

Method

Choose a ripe melon
Start with a chilled, heavy cantaloupe that smells sweet at the blossom end and gives just slightly to gentle pressure; as a full replacement, choose one ripe honeydew with creamy pale rind and a sweet aroma.
Look for: The chosen melon feels heavy for its size and smells pleasantly sweet without soft spots.
Wash and dry the rind
Rinse the whole melon under cool running water, scrub its rind with clean hands, and dry it thoroughly with a paper towel before cutting so the knife does not carry dirt onto the flesh.
Look for: The outside is clean and dry before the knife touches it.
Cut bite-size wedges
Trim a thin slice from both ends, halve the cantaloupe lengthwise, and scoop out its seeds; if using the whole-replacement honeydew, halve it and remove its seeds the same way. Cut away the rind, then slice the flesh into 24 neat pieces about 1 by 2 inches.
Look for: The 24 melon pieces are similar in size and small enough to eat in one or two bites.
Prepare the prosciutto
Separate the prosciutto slices and cut each lengthwise into two narrow strips, making about 24 strips; keep the strips loosely covered and cold while you work so they stay easy to handle.
Look for: The strips are long enough to wrap once around a melon piece without tearing.
Wrap each melon piece
Lay one prosciutto strip across a melon piece and wrap it around the center with the overlap underneath; use one strip per piece and keep the wrap snug enough to hold without squeezing the fruit.
Look for: Each melon piece is held by a single strip, with its seam resting against the platter side.
Secure the bites
Push one wooden cocktail pick through the prosciutto overlap and into the melon on each bite, stopping before the pick protrudes through the far side; set finished bites on a chilled shallow platter.
Look for: All 24 picks hold their wraps and leave an easy-to-grip handle.
Arrange for serving or travel
Arrange the bites in one uncrowded layer with the picks facing outward so guests can lift them easily; if traveling, cover the platter and keep it in an insulated carrier with a cold pack until serving.
Look for: The bites sit in one layer and remain cold, with picks accessible from the edges.
Finish with mint and pepper
Just before serving, tuck a small mint leaf onto each bite or scatter torn mint leaves across the platter, then add a light dusting of cracked black pepper; return any waiting platter to the refrigerator.
Look for: Mint looks fresh and pepper is a light accent rather than a heavy coating.