Dominique Crenn’s Marinated Honeydew Melon Recipe

Dominique Crenn is an award-winning chef and advocate for sustainability and equity in the culinary world. Growing up in the Brittany region in northwest France, Chef Crenn spent many hours working in her grandmother’s potato fields, foraging for mushrooms with her father and brother, and partaking in her family’s Sunday dinners. Her father’s best friend, a restaurant critic in Brittany, sometimes brought her along on his tasting trips. These experiences sparked her imagination and taught Chef Crenn to think of cooking as a form of storytelling. All of these memories, and the familial and communal love they evoked, would become touchstones in her cooking.

Though she is now among the world’s most celebrated chefs, her path to culinary greatness was not without its challenges. After being turned away from many French culinary schools due to antiquated opinions about female chefs, Chef Crenn set out for California, where she forged her own culinary identity rooted in personhood, memories, and mindfulness.

In San Francisco, Chef Crenn honed her skills at fine dining establishments before eventually opening her own restaurant, Atelier Crenn, in 2011 (named for her father’s painting studio in Brittany). Atelier Crenn’s reputation grew year by year: It received one Michelin star in 2011, two in 2012, and finally, the highest honor of three stars in 2018. At the restaurant, diners receive a poem instead of a menu, with each dish represented by a line of poetry. Chef Crenn describes her practice of tying food to language as “poetic culinaria.”

Before carving, gather two large bowls: one for the melon meat trim and seeds and the other for the melon rind. Here’s how to carve a melon:

1. 1. Remove the ends. Using a chef’s knife, cut both ends off the melon, then place it flat-side down on a cutting board.
2. 2. Carve away the rind. Holding the top of the melon still, slice downward along the curve of the melon’s flesh to carve away the rind. You can reserve these trims for use in a melon vinaigrette later, if desired, by placing them in one of the large bowls. Next, turn the melon to continue carving the next section of rind. Trim any areas from the melon that feel hard or look lighter in color.
3. 3. Halve the melon. Place the skinned melon on a clean kitchen towel to prevent sliding, then cut the melon in half.
4. 4. Remove the seeds. Using a spoon, scoop out the interior seeds and place them into the other large bowl.

Whether you have leftover honeydew after making Chef Crenn’s marinated honeydew ribbons or simply want to explore this refreshing fruit, there is no shortage of honeydew recipes to try. Here are some options to consider:

1. 1. Honeydew melon agua fresca: Agua frescas are refreshing drinks from Mexico, perfect for a hot day. Some of the more popular agua frescas include horchata and jamaica (hibiscus), but you can make agua fresca with almost any fresh fruit. In a blender, combine four parts ripe honeydew melon with three parts water. Add lime juice and sugar to taste.
2. 2. Honeydew melon margarita: Combine honeydew melon juice with fresh lime juice for a uniquely sweet take on a margarita. Learn how to make a margarita.
3. 3. Honeydew melon sangria: Add cubes of ripe honeydew melon or melon balls to a white wine sangria. The summer fruit will soak up the wine like a boozy fruit salad. Learn how to make sangria.
4. 4. Honeydew melon sorbet: Honeydew melon makes for a particularly delicate sorbet. Learn more about sorbet here. If you’re short on time, honeydew is also great in fruit juice popsicles.
5. 5. Honeydew melon smoothie: Freeze leftover melon pieces, then blend them with coconut milk and ice cubes for an easy smoothie.
6. 6. Honeydew melon with prosciutto: Pair wedges of fresh honeydew with thinly sliced prosciutto. The saltiness of the cured meat balances the sweetness of the melon for a classic Italian appetizer.
7. 7. Honeydew salad: A melon salad can skew sweet (with strawberries, blueberries, and other summer fruits) or savory, with vinaigrette and herbs. Chef Crenn’s melon salad, featuring marinated honeydew ribbons along with cantaloupe balls and marinated Brilliant melon, leans savory.