Melon Cream

This is an assembly and presentation piece rather than a cooked dish: the melon is the serving vessel and the filling comes from elsewhere in the ice cream chapter. The success of it rests on keeping both parts very cold and cutting the shell cleanly.

• Musk melonIn American books of this period a musk melon is generally a netted cantaloupe of the ribbed sort rather than a smooth-skinned melon. The recipe specifies only a 'small' one; choose a melon small enough that a whole one is a reasonable single portion.
• The cutThe instruction is to cut sections away so that every other rib remains attached at both stem and blossom ends; whether the loosened sections are removed entirely or left to open outward is not made explicit. Work with a thin, sharp paring knife and keep the attachments at both ends intact or the shell will not hold together.
• "Delicately flavored cream"Given the alternative offered is lemon ice, the phrase most likely means a frozen cream rather than liquid cream; a plain or lightly scented vanilla would suit. The recipe names no particular flavouring.
• Chill everything hardHollow and drain the melons and chill the shells thoroughly before filling. A room-temperature melon will soften the filling quickly at table.
• Drain the cavityScraping out seeds and membrane leaves a wet hollow. Blot it dry, otherwise melon juice thins the ice into a slush at the bottom of the shell.
• Grape foliageGrape leaves are edible and were a common summer garnish. Use only leaves you know are unsprayed, wash them and pat dry; a fig or lemon leaf serves the same purpose.
• YieldOne small melon per person, as stated. Fill no more than ten minutes before serving and keep the plated melons in the freezer until they go to the table.