Watermelon: 200g
Lime: 1/2
Syrup: 1 tsp
Watermelon: 200g
Dark miso: 1 tbsp
Sake: 30 g
Mirin: 10 g
Soy sauce: 30 g
Watermelon: 1
Kosher salt: 200 g
Smoked paprika: 1 tbsp
Onion powder: 2 tbsp
Ginger powder: 1 tbsp
Chili flakes: 1 tbsp
White wine vinegar: 60 g
Vegetable stock: 125 g
Agave syrup: 30 g
Brown sugar: 25 g
Onion powder: 20 g
Garlic: 1 clove
Smoked paprika: 5 g
Dijon mustard: 20 g
Whisky: 30 g
Fancy molasses: 15 g
Chili flakes: ½ tsp
Miso paste: 20 g
Liquid smoke: 1 tsp
Black pepper: to taste
Learn how to make a 'watermelon otsukuri', step by step, with professional chef, culinary instructor and food content creator, Natalia Rudakova.
Rudakova is the host of Fine Dining Lovers' 'The Secrets of Fine Dining' series bringing you incredible tips and tricks, straight from the chef’s kitchen, to level up your fine-dining cooking techniques and plating skills.
Prepare to be amazed as she highlights some incredible, yet simple, molecular gastronomy and fine-dining techniques, which you can re-create at home.
Cut the watermelon into rough cubes, remove the seeds, and freeze overnight.
Place the frozen watermelon cubes into a food processor, add in lime juice and syrup and crush to even consistency.
Keep in the freezer until assembly.
Cut watermelon in 3.5cm pieces, 1cm thickness. Remove the seeds (if any).
Blend together all the glazing ingredients, bring to boil and cool down completely over an ice-bath.
Place the watermelon pieces in a shallow container, pour the glaze over, making sure it’s evenly coated on all sides.
Marinate the watermelon in the fridge for at least 30 min.
Wash the extra glaze off, before the assembly.
Cut the rind off the whole watermelon. You can keep it to make a watermelon pickle for the garnish (optional).
Mix together the dry cure mixture: Kosher salt, smoked paprika, onion powder, ginger powder and chilli flakes.
Cover the watermelon with a curing mixture all over, wrap in a plastic wrap and cure in the fridge for 1-2 days.
Remove a significantly dehydrated watermelon out of the fridge and wash off all the extra curing mixture.
Blend together the BBQ mix (all the rest of the ingredients), bring to boil and simmer until it reduced half in size and thickens.
Meanwhile preheat the oven to 260C.
Place the watermelon on a rack, cover it with the BBQ mix and broil in the oven for about 20 min, turning it and covering with more BBQ mix half way through.
Let the watermelon completely cool down and refrigerate, then slice the watermelon thinly and shape in the form of roses.
Arrange all the pc of different kinds of watermelon on a plate, creating height and a variety of textures and colours, with the help of garnishes of your choice.
Serve cold and enjoy.
In this recipe, chef Natalia Rudakova teaches us how to cook vegan otsukuri using watermelon and a watermelon sorbet. Don’t be mistaken by its fishy looks, because this sashimi is completely plant-based.
Watch how it's done in the video below, and follow the step by step recipe to have a go at home.
