Watermelon and rhubarb harissa

4/22/25, 8:00 AM

A sunny recipe combining marinated watermelon, rhubarb harissa, fromage frais and tagetes oil from Bordeaux chefs Martin Lafont and Jean-Marie Perrot.

This recipe from Martin Lafont and Jean-Marie Perrot,chefs atPanaille restaurant in Bordeaux, is taken from the special issue of Gault&Millau magazine, in which you can discover 109 chefs' recipes. These chefs have opened their establishments in the last 18 months and shared their favorite recipes with us. Discover the ingredients and preparation steps for makingwatermelon, rhubarb harissa, fromage frais and tagetes oil.

Ingredients for watermelon and harissa by Martin Lafont and Jean-Marie Perrot

For the watermelon marinade

2 garlic cloves, crushed

10 g grated ginger

1 tsp chili paste

4 tbsp. salted soysauce

1 tbsp. honey

1 tbsp. mirin

2 tbsp. rice vinegar

For thefromage frais

120 g fromage frais

20 g mascarpone cheese

1 lime

1 pinch Espelette pepper

Flower of salt

For the rhubarb harissa

200 g dried red peppers

2 yellow onions

2 garlic cloves, crushed, skin on

1 pinch cumin

3 sticks rhubarb

10 g sugar

1 pinch salt

For the tagetes oil

20 cl neutral oil (sunflower, rapeseed )

1 bunch tagetes leaves

Steps for watermelon and harissa from Martin Lafont and Jean-Marie Perrot

Marinated watermelon: Mix all the marinadeingredients in a bowl. Cut the watermelon into 3x10 cm rectangles. Marinate for 12 h in a cool place.

Fromage frais: Mix the fromage frais with the mascarpone using a mixer (or whisk). Once blended, season with lime zest, fleur de sel and Espelette pepper. Set aside.

Rhubarb harissa: Sweat the onions, garlic, cumin and chillies in a pan. When the mixture is melting, but not colored, add the rhubarb, then the sugar and salt. Leave to stew. Blend, adjust the seasoning, then strain through a sieve to obtain a smooth mixture.

Tagetes oil: Heat the neutral oil for 4 min over medium heat. In a blender, pour the hot oil over the tagetes and blend. Strain the oil through a colander with paper towels on top. Arrange on a plate.

Has this recipe inspired you to discover the cuisine of Martin Lafont and Jean-Marie Perrot? Read the Gault&Millau review of Panaille.

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