Spiced Melon Cocktail

This is a proper dinner-party starter from the Mad Men era, sweet honeydew balls tumbled with flaked crab in a pale-pink spiced dressing. It sounds odd on paper, but the sweet-savoury pairing is the whole point, the same logic that makes prosciutto and melon a classic.

The dressing is what lifts it out of the 1970s cookbook. Soft-whipped cream folded into mayonnaise gives you a cloud-light base, and a spoonful of tomato paste, paprika, hot sauce, and Worcestershire builds a gentle “marie rose” edge like a British prawn cocktail.

Whipping the cream to soft peaks (not stiff) is the part most people get wrong. Stiff cream will break when you fold in the mayo and tomato paste, giving you a curdled-looking dressing. Stop the mixer the moment the cream holds a ribbon.

Fold the crab and melon in gently at the end, over-mixing crushes the crab lumps and turns delicate honeydew into pulp.

Chef Tips

• Use a melon baller for neat rounds, or just cube the honeydew if you don’t own one.
• Drain the crab well, even a little liquid will thin the dressing into a puddle.
• Chill the serving glasses beforehand, this cocktail is at its best ice-cold.
• Assemble just before serving, the cream dressing weeps water if it sits too long on the melon.

Variations

• Swap honeydew for cantaloupe, or use a mix of both for more colour contrast.
• Use cooked, chilled shrimp in place of crab for a more traditional prawn-cocktail vibe.
• Serve in hollowed-out melon halves for a retro showpiece presentation.