Give Your Stir-Fry Some Summertime Sweetness With Watermelon Rinds

Who knew there were so many things you could do with watermelon rinds? You can pickle it; you can candy it; and you can even shred it into coleslaw. But have you ever thought of using it in a stir-fry? Shirley Chung, who has appeared as a contestant on several seasons of Bravo's "Top Chef," suggests to The Takeout that you might want to give it a try.

"Adding watermelon rind to stir-fry will add crunchy texture, cucumber-like freshness, and slight sweetness to the dish," says Chung. "Watermelon rind is very juicy and crunchy; when you stir-fry it, its cooked texture is very much like chayote squash and cucumber." She also feels that its sweetness will help to enhance any savory flavors in the dish. 

Science backs up Chung on this, since combining sweet ingredients with salty ones makes for a more nuanced flavor than either taste can provide on its own. In combination, these contrasting elements can make for a stir-fry that's more appealing to the appetite than a less complex dish.

If you bought a whole watermelon, you probably have a lot of rind to use up, but as Shirley Chung points out, not all of it is suitable for cooking. "The part of the watermelon rind that's good for stir-fry is the pale green part after removing the darker green smooth skin and the sweet flesh," she tells us, adding that it will need some prep work. First, it should be cleaned and then sliced into strips and salted. Let the strips sit for 10 to 15 minutes so the salt can draw out any excess liquid and also help soften the rind. Once that's done, squeeze the strips or press them in a colander to remove any remaining moisture, and then toss them in the wok.

To have a well-balanced stir-fry, you're also going to want additional ingredients. "Protein such as sliced beef, chicken, or shrimp and tofu, with a spicy chile pepper as well as aromatics like garlic, ginger, and onion, will complement watermelon rind," says Chung. "As the rind is very neutral in flavor with a hint of sweet, balance it with savory and spicy." If your stir-fry recipe calls for cucumber, squash, or zucchini, watermelon rind makes an excellent replacement for these vegetables.

If you use watermelon rind in a stir-fry, can the rest of the fruit go in, too? "Normally, I would not use the red flesh part of the watermelon in a stir-fry, as it's very sweet, juicy, and fragile. If you cook it too long, it will become a sweet watery mess," cautions Chung. However, she did provide one exception to the rule, since she feels that it might work well with a spicy seafood stir-fry: "I would add small diced watermelon cubes into the stir-fry at the very last minute off the heat, so it warms up gently, still raw and crunchy and sweet, and it will balance the heat in the dish."

In most cases, however, you'll want to use the watermelon rind alone in the main course, while saving the flesh for dessert. You could also make a watermelon salad for a side dish, sprinkle cubes with salt or Tajín for a sweet and savory appetizer, or use watermelon juice in cocktails or mocktails to accompany your stir-fry feast.