Fab Recipe Using Parma Ham
This Parma Ham Rarebit is so much more than a glorified cheese on toast. Rich and flavoursome, this dish is sure to be popular with the family!
Grill sliced bread on both sides and leave to cool. Combine ale, mustard, eggs, Caerphilly, crème fraîche and seasoning and spread on each slice of toast. Cook under the grill until golden brown and bubbly.
Cool slightly and serve topped with Parma Ham.
Parma Ham is a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) product and is 100% natural. The drying process that Parma Ham goes through creates a ham that is very low in fat content, with many mineral salts, vitamins, antioxidants and easily digestible proteins. This means that Parma Ham is truly a food for everyone.
Prosciutto di Parma is produced in the hills surrounding the Italian town of Parma.
The unique taste of Parma Ham is dependent on the traditional production process passed down from Roman times, carefully controlled by the Consorzio del Prosciutto di Parma. Only hams that have passed stringent curing regulations approved by the EU can be awarded the stamp of the Ducal crown – a five pointed coronet logo with PARMA in the centre which is branded onto the ham’s skin. The Ducal Crown is now a certification trademark.
For more information, please visit the website.
Parma Ham Rarebit Makes 8
8 slices sourdough bread
2 tbsp ale
2 tsp whole-grain mustard
2 eggs, beaten
150g grated Caerphilly
1 tbsp crème fraîche
8 slices Parma Ham
Slice the bread in half if you prefer. Preheat the grill and toast the bread on both sides. Leave to cool Combine ale, mustard, eggs, Caerphilly, crème fraîche and a little seasoning and spread a layer on top of each slice of toast. Transfer to a large grill pan or baking sheet and cook under the grill for 2-4 minutes until the topping is golden and bubbling. Cool slightly before serving, topped with slices of Parma Ham.
Yum! There are lots more recipes using Parma Ham to choose from – we’ll be trying them out – watch this space!
Val Reynolds, Editor
Recipe supplied by Consorzio del Prosciutto di Parma
Photography: Steve Lee Recipe and Food Styling: Dialogue Agency
Versatile Parma Ham
Parma ham is one of my favourite delicacies, so when invited to a ‘cook and dine’ event centred around this wonderful food I didn’t hesitate in letting the organisers know that I would be there!
A tube strike in full swing on the evening didn’t deter many and a warm welcome from the organisers, a glass or two of Prosecco along with nibbles of the wafer thin ham and small canapés soon made us forget about the struggle to reach the venue, the Underground Cookery School on the City Road near Old Street.
As there were quite a few participants we were divided into two groups, swapping over to make the dishes. Mine kicked off with the starter, destined to become fresh tagliatelle with black pepper, truffle oil, Parma ham and parmigiano reggiani. I was perhaps in the minority who had never made pasta from scratch before; but luckily sporting a complimentary Parma Ham apron I happily mixed the flour and egg while under the watchful eye of the chef in charge who added just a splash of olive oil to the mix; then I kneeded it until it reached the required consistency. This was an extremely effective way of dealing with the tensions of the day – all bakers should be very relaxed people! We were each in charge of our own pasta-making machine and following instructions, we started feeding the dough through it, again and again, reducing the number on the dial from 10 right down to 2 in order to reach the required thickness. Mini disasters of the dough falling apart were easily rectified by the chef sprinkling more flour on it. I think I might be more expert the next time! The machine incorporated a tagliatelle cutter, so the neat ribbons of pasta appeared in a trice; we then hung them out to dry on a washing airer, which I found to be quite novel, but very effective.
The groups swapped round and I now found myself faced with a chicken to dissect and bone until I was left with a boneless chicken breast. The very sharp knives provided had to be handled with great care but essential for the job. My rather neat piece of poultry was stuffed with a mixture of cream-cheese, onion and tarragon and then wrapped in Parma ham.
On to dessert, and after the chef had whipped up a mean meringue flavoured with lemon juice and vanilla I was given the honour (with the help of another participant) of spreading it smoothly on the baking sheet. A layer of strawberry-flavoured whipped cream was spread on top and we watched as the chef rolled it into an extremely professional-looking roulade.
We were then all invited to be seated at a long table where everyone chatted away happily. Soon our pasta starter arrived, followed by the chicken breast, succulent under its ham wrap and accompanied by a salad of new potatoes, spring onions and purple sprouting broccoli. The surprise came with the dessert, when we discovered that our lovely roulade had been top with candied Parma ham. In our leaving goody bag were all the recipes and I learnt that to make this, the ham had been placed on a baking sheet, covered with caster sugar and baked in the oven, then broken into shards when cool. I have to say that the delicate flavour of the ham was not quite so prominent here, but nevertheless quite delicious.
We all left, tired but well fed, with a souvenir apron, a booklet of tasty recipes, a folder with detailed information about the production and qualities of Parma ham, and, I’m happy to say, a small pack of superb ‘prosciutto di Parma’.
There are some mouthwatering recipes for Parma Ham on http://www.prosciuttodiparma.com/en_UK/home
http://undergroundcookeryschool.com
Jeannette Nelson, Food writer
In Balance 