GRILLED WATERMELON WITH LABNEH AND SALSA MACHA WITH HELEN GRAHAM

Giving vegetables 'main character energy' is something Helen Graham truly excels in. Known for her playful, celebratory approach to cooking, the London based chef and food writer has spent more than a decade redefining what vegetarian cuisine can be, from her time as Executive Chef at Bubala to stints in the kitchens of Ottolenghi, The Barbary, The Good Egg, and The Palomar.

“I cook vegetables as you might a piece of meat or fish. You can create something really special with a beautiful juxtaposition of flavours – putting them as the centrepiece.”

When Helen recently joined us at our Dockley Road store to host a supper club alongside MOMO, in celebration of our latest collaboration, a thirst-quenching Watermelon Kombucha, she brought that same spirit and vibrancy to the table. She turned Oscar Zerbinati’s peak-season Sentinel Watermelon into the undisputed star of an exceptional grilled dish, pairing smoky sweetness with labneh and salsa macha.

As we gathered around the table and tucked in, we fell for it instantly. We loved it so much, we had to invite her back to take us through the recipe for our Off The Pass series.

A rare, 50-year-old variety grown in Mantua, Northern Italy, Sentinel is prized for its dense, intensely sweet flesh. Oscar carefully limits the fruit’s water intake so it can draw maximum flavour from the region’s mineral-rich clay soils. Each melon is marked with a stylised letter Z, denoting three stages of ripeness, with only the very best harvested at full maturity.

A simple, delicious fruit, reimagined into the highlight of the night.

GRILLED WATERMELON WITH LABNEH AND SALSA MACHA WITH HELEN GRAHAM

INGREDIENTS

For the labneh

500g Greek yoghurt
1/4 tsp table salt
Zest of 1 orange

For the grilled Watermelon

6 slices Sentinel Watermelon
2 tbsp Honest Toil Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Large pinch flaky salt

For the salsa macha

3 Apricots, finely chopped
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
15g coriander, finely chopped
1 tbsp sherry vinegar
4 tbsp Honest Toil Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 green chilli, de-seeded and finely chopped
1/2 tsp salt

METHOD

1. Stir the yoghurt, salt and orange zest together in a bowl. Then, spoon the contents into a sieve lined with muslin set over another bowl and leave it to drain in the fridge for at least 4 hours, or overnight until thickened.
2. Heat the oven to 220°C fan.
3. Brush the Watermelon slices with olive oil, season with flaky salt and roast on a lined baking tray for 1 hour or until it looks like it's released most of its water, and is dark and charred at the edges.
4. Mix the Apricots, red onion, coriander, sherry vinegar, olive oil, green chilli and salt in a bowl to make the salsa.
5. Spread the labneh over a serving plate, arrange the warm Watermelon slices on top and spoon over the salsa and serve.

What is it about veg-forward cooking that you like so much?

I really enjoy changing people's perception of vegetables and showcasing beautiful produce in a really exciting way, but also shifting people's perception of what vegetarian food can be. I think a lot of vegetarian food occupies the healthful wellness space, and my food is a lot more celebratory, fun and indulgent. I cook vegetables as you would a piece of meat or fish. You can create something really special and with a beautiful kind of juxtaposition of flavours, putting them as the centrepiece.

You've worked at some incredible Middle Eastern restaurants over the years. Who and what would you say had the most influence on your cooking?

I'd say, at the beginning of my career, The Palomar was up there. The head chef at the time was Tomer, and his food was like nothing I'd ever seen before. It really blew my mind. The flavour combinations and the creativity. It seems so off the cuff and things are put together that I never would have paired. I think that's really what kickstarted my excitement. Palomar was so exciting.

Do you have a favourite season to cook in?

Autumn. There’s a distinct shift. The end of summer brings softer fruits, last of the season tomatoes and glut of courgettes. But also the more substantial root vegetables begin to come in that need time and consideration when cooking.

What's your process when it comes to creating your dishes?

It always starts with the vegetable: how to coax as much flavour from it as possible, how to draw its natural sugars to the surface, how to caramelise it. Then it’s about deciding what you want to say with that vegetable. For example, carrots are naturally sweet, so I’d pair them with something really tangy, often with a creamy element and a fresh salsa. Never hiding the vegetable, just bringing its best characteristics forward. I love it when someone eats my food and says, “I didn’t know cabbage could be so sweet,” or, “I never realised celeriac tasted of coriander seeds.”

Any store cupboard favourites that you can't live without?

Miso and veg are such a great pairing. Plus harissa, some really gorgeous olive oil and tamarind. I go through so much tamarind. I like to stir it into yoghurt or use it in a vinaigrette. The other day I made saffron butter with tamarind and date syrup and put it on sweet corn. I also use a lot of date syrup, it’s such a good ingredient!

What’s been your go-to recipe after a long shift?

Jacket potato and cheese!? Or I'd use miso butter on everything: miso butter and chilli crisp on pre-made spinach and ricotta ravioli was something I ate a lot.

Do you have a favourite London restaurant?

I love 40 Maltby Street. It just has such a nice sense of seasonality. Beautiful, special cooking. I also love Little Duck The Picklery which I went to the other day. Sara, my friend, is the head chef and every time I eat there, I'm blown away by her dishes.