Cantaloupe Melba

This cantaloupe Melba is a twist on the classic Peach Melba, swapping peaches for ripe cantaloupe slices that line each goblet like petals. A scoop of raspberry sherbet sits in the center, then the whole thing gets drizzled with a fresh raspberry Melba sauce that’s been strained silky smooth.

The sauce is dead simple: puree fresh or frozen raspberries, push them through a sieve to catch every seed, then stir in sugar and an optional splash of orange liqueur like Grand Marnier or Cointreau. Straining is the step you can’t skip. Raspberry seeds are tiny and gritty, and they wreck the texture of an otherwise elegant dessert.

Chill the sauce thoroughly before serving. Cold sauce on cold sherbet on cold melon is the whole point. Everything should be frosty.

This is the kind of dessert you bring out after a rich main course. It’s light, refreshing, and looks like you spent far more time than you actually did.

Pro Tips

• Use ripe, fragrant cantaloupes. Smell the stem end. If it doesn’t smell like melon, it won’t taste like melon.
• Cut melon slices thin so they drape against the sides of the goblet without breaking.
• Press the raspberry puree firmly through the sieve with the back of a spoon. A lot of good fruit stays behind if you don’t push hard enough.
• Assemble just before serving. The sherbet melts fast and you want that clean layered look when it hits the table.

Variations

• Use peach sherbet instead of raspberry for a double-melon-and-stone-fruit combination.
• Swap cantaloupe for honeydew melon for a sweeter, paler presentation.
• Skip the liqueur and add a teaspoon of vanilla extract to the sauce for a family-friendly version.