Recipe courtesy of Food Network Kitchen
Recipe courtesy of Food Network Kitchen
Watch how to make this recipe.
Watermelon Spaceship
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- Level: Intermediate
- Total: 50 min
- Active: 50 min
- Yield: 8 to 10 servings
Party guests will think this fun fruit salad is out of this world.
- Level: Intermediate
- Total: 50 min
- Active: 50 min
- Yield: 8 to 10 servings
Ingredients
Directions
Special equipment:
a melon baller; 1 wooden dowel; 1 wooden skewer; an apple corer- Set the watermelon on its side (stem end facing left or right) and cut off a small flat piece of rind from the bottom so the watermelon is stable. Reserve the flat piece.
- To make the cockpit: Lightly draw an oval (about 4 inches wide and 5 inches long) on the top of the watermelon with a pen or marker, slightly farther from the stem end (which will be the back of the spaceship). Use a paring knife to remove the oval, reserving it. Scoop out 3 cups of watermelon balls using a melon baller. Remove the remaining watermelon flesh and save for another use.
- To make the nose of the spaceship: Cut one of the oranges in half slightly off center, so one half is large than the other. Scoop out the flesh from the smaller half with a spoon to make an orange rind cup (reserve the larger half). Squeeze the juice from the scooped orange flesh into a large bowl; discard the squeezed flesh.
- Skewer the scooped-out orange half onto a wooden dowel and insert the dowel in the front of the watermelon spaceship, sticking out horizontally. (Tip: You can use a meat mallet to tap in the dowel, skewer or toothpicks if the rind is very hard.) Stick 3 grapes, alternating colors and spaced evenly, on the rest of the dowel.
- To make the wings: Cut the reserved oval piece in half lengthwise to make the wings. Cut a small piece from the top and bottom of each wing at an angle, so they'll sit flat against the watermelon. Attach each wing with 2 toothpicks, sitting them slightly behind the cockpit.
- To make the tail of the spaceship: Insert a skewer in the back of the watermelon spaceship, slightly above where the stem was, at a 45-degree angle. Cut 4 thin slices of starfruit and stick them on the skewer in size order (smallest at the top), evenly spaced. Add a green grape to cover the tip of the skewer.
- To make the alien ship captain: Slice a small piece from the bottom of the kiwi so it sits flat. Use a paring knife to carve a smile into the kiwi. Use an apple corer to cut 2 eyes from the reserved watermelon flat piece. On the white side, carve a small round in the center of each circle (but don't go all the way through). Cut the ends from a red grape and press the ends into the rounds to make eyeballs. Stick the eyes onto toothpicks and insert in the top of the kiwi. Slice a piece of starfruit and sit the alien on top to make weird alien feet.
- Slice the remaining starfruit and add to the bowl with the orange juice. Put the reserved large orange half cut-side down on a cutting board and remove the rind and pith with a paring knife. Cut the orange segments into the bowl. Repeat with the remaining whole oranges. Add the watermelon balls and remaining grapes to the bowl and sprinkle with the sugar. Toss well.
- Spoon the fruit salad into the spaceship and sit the alien captain in the driver's seat of the cockpit. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
