Ingredients

Directions

Preheat oven to 350° and chill four soup bowls in refrigerator.

1. Peel and remove seeds from melons. Pick melons that have a fruity “appley” scent to them. If not quite ripe, place in paper bag with a ripe banana for about 2 days in pantry.
2. Cut melons into medium pieces large enough for juicer or blender blades to process.
3. Process melon pieces in juicer or blender until smooth (soup-like) consistency.
4. Add honey to your taste a teaspoon at a time, up to 4 tablespoons, pulsing the juicer or blender all the while.
5. Place juiced melon “soup” into a soup tourine or glass pitcher (do not use metal base pitchers as they will distort the taste).
6. Clean the “toe” of each scallop or have your fishmonger do so. Wrap each scallop with pancetta or prosciutto strip.
7. Salt and pepper lightly (preferably with freshly ground black pepper or white pepper).
8. Heat sauté pan, add olive oil and butter. When hot (but not smoky) add scallops to sauté pan one at a time. Sear to get a nice brown color on both sides of each scallop. Turn and sear pancetta prosciutto strips. Drain off all fat in pan. Add thyme sprigs and place in preheated oven for about 5 minutes to cook, but leave tender each scallop.
9. Remove melon “soup” from refrigerator and place tourine or pitcher over ice.
10. Place a scallop in the center each bowl. Pour chilled “soup” around the scallop and top with chiffonade of mint. Serve.

Suggested wines:
- Sancerne 2009 Domaine Vacheron
- Sauvignon Blanc 2009 Noble Hill
- Kendall Jackson Chardonay