Ingredients Fruits Melon Watermelon Chile-Coconut Watermelon Crudo 5.0 (1) 1 Review This sweet, spicy, and punchy upgrade to classic slabs of salted watermelon is the palate-pleasing appetizer your cookout guests deserve. Fresh coconut water is much sweeter, and has a greater depth of flavor than bottled versions, so crack open a coconut if you can. If using store-bought, select a brand with no additives for the best tasting crudo. Reserve the strained spicy marinade to use as a fruity base for a tequila cocktail. By Paige Grandjean Paige Grandjean Instagram Website Title: Associate Food Editor, Food & WineLocation: Birmingham, AlabamaEducation: Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) Level 2 Award in Spirits, International Association of Culinary Professionals Cookbook Judge: Baking Category 2021Expertise: recipe development, food styling.Paige Grandjean is a food editor, recipe developer, and food stylist with over seven years of experience in food media. Her work has appeared in more than 15 nationally distributed publications, award-winning cookbooks, and digital platforms.Experience: Paige Grandjean has spent her entire career in food media. As a former recipe tester and developer in the Meredith Food Studios, she worked on recipes for numerous print and digital brands. Her extensive test kitchen experience landed her a spot as a panel speaker at the International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) annual conference in 2020. Paige's recipes have been showcased on the covers of magazines such as Food & Wine, Southern Living, and Cooking Light, with her 2020 Food & Wine lamination cover story earning a spot as a Folio: Eddie and Ozzie Award finalist. As the current associate food editor for Food & Wine, Paige assists in overseeing all food content for the internationally acclaimed brand. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on June 1, 2020 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Active Time: 20 mins Total Time: 2 hrs 20 mins Yield: 6 Ingredients 1 small (6-pound) seedless watermelon 2 cups fresh coconut water (from 2 coconuts) or bottled coconut water 1 teaspoon finely grated lime zest plus 1/4 cup fresh lime juice, divided 2 tablespoons thinly sliced peeled fresh ginger 3 medium fresh green Thai chiles, stemmed and thinly sliced, divided 1 tablespoon turbinado sugar, divided 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 1/4 cup toasted flaked coconut 2 tablespoons crispy fried shallots (such as Maesri) 1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped cilantro stems 1 teaspoon flaky sea salt Directions Cut watermelon into 12 (3- x 2 1/2- x 1/2-inch) wedges with rind attached; set aside. Reserve remaining watermelon for another use. Stir together coconut water, lime juice, ginger, 2 sliced chiles, and 1/2 tablespoon sugar in a 13- x 9-inch baking dish. Place watermelon wedges in dish in a single layer; cover and chill at least 2 hours or up to overnight. Just before serving, remove watermelon from marinade; discard marinade (or strain and reserve for cocktails). Arrange watermelon on a chilled serving platter; drizzle with olive oil. Top watermelon evenly with coconut, fried shallots, and remaining chile slices. Stir together cilantro, flaky salt, lime zest, and remaining 1/2 tablespoon sugar. Sprinkle over watermelon. Serve immediately. Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen Make Ahead Watermelon can be marinated up to 8 hours or overnight. Notes For a refreshingly cold bite, chill the serving platter in the freezer for 15 minutes before plating the crudo. Suggested Pairing Lemon-appley Prosecco. Rate it Print