Prosciutto is a form of cured ham with deep roots in Italian culture and cuisine. It can be usually found on charcuterie boards and grazing platters, as well as in various Italian and European recipes, but can be a rich yet delicate snack on its own as well. If you are a fan of finer foods from around the world, prosciutto is one delicacy you don’t want to pass on adding to your recipes or trying by itself.
EditSteps
EditTasting Prosciutto On Its Own
- Try a slice of prosciutto on its own, with no pairings. Notice the sweet scent of the slice, which comes from a protected and controlled aging process, as well as the appearance of the prosciutto. It should taste sweet and slightly salty with spiced flavors coming through.
- Good prosciutto should melt in your mouth, due to its delicate and thin texture.
- Find your preference for crudo (uncooked) or cotto (cooked). Try both forms of prosciutto to see if you have a preference for either. You can use either form in the recipes listed here, but ultimately your personal preference will end up tasting better to you.
- Prosciutto Crudo: Made from a cured leg of ham. This form should be deep pink in color laced with white fat. It has a thick skin that must be removed before consumption.
- Prosciutto Cotto: Made from a cooked leg of ham. This form should be very light pink in color, resembling sandwich meat, and while there will be fat in the meat, it will be less noticeable than in prosciutto crudo.[1]
- Make crispy prosciutto chips for a delicious and simple on-the-go snack. Set your oven to degrees and place slices of prosciutto flat onto a piece of parchment paper on a large cooking tray. Cook for about 12 to 14 minutes, depending on how crispy you want your prosciutto “chips” to be, and let cool.[2]
- These “chips” are great for bringing on long trips or long days at work. Store them in a ziploc for day-long munching!
EditCrafting Appetizers
- Highlight the meat with a cheese board pairing. Two of the most commonly paired cheeses with prosciutto are Mozzarella di Bufala and Parmigiano Reggiano, but Pecorino Romano or Ricotta cheese can be delicious with this delicacy as well.[3]
- Mozzarella di Bufala: A variety of mozzarella created with milk from the Italian buffalo, it enhances the butteriness of the meat and harmonizes with its sweeter flavors.
- Parmigiano Reggiano: A hard, salty cheese that enhances it’s silky texture and adds a strong salty flavor.
- Pecorino Romano: Pecorino Romano pairs well with prosciutto by combatting an rounding out its silky and sweet flavor.
- Ricotta: Ricotta harmonizes its spreadable texture with the prosciutto’s melt-in-your-mouth qualities.
- Add prosciutto to crostini for a hearty bruschetta-type appetizer. The crunch of the crostini may seem to counteract the soft and delicate texture of the prosciutto, but it makes for a delicious topping and an appetizer that is quick to prepare.
- You can spread goat cheese, add a slice of summer fruit, or add a light dressing of balsamic reduction to spice up the appetizer, but the combination tastes delicious with no additions as well.[4]
- Spiral prosciutto around spears of asparagus for a mouth-watering appetizer. Twist the prosciutto around spears of asparagus while the oven preheats to degrees. Place your spears into the oven on a baking sheet coated in olive oil and let them bake for about 5 minutes. Turn them over and bake them for another 5 minutes before removing them.[5]
EditPutting Together Main Dishes
- Add chopped prosciutto to arugula salad along with pear and dijon mustard. Prepare crispy prosciutto as detailed in method one of this guide, and chop it into medium-sized chunks. Using arugula as the base of your salad, add pear slices as well as chunks of mozzarella. Drizzle the prosciutto chunks onto the salad as well as a fitting dressing, such as dijon mustard.[6]
- You can use Parmigiano Reggiano as an alternative to mozzarella, and balsamic glaze as an alternative to dijon mustard.
- Include it in ricotta gnocchi as an alternative, lighter protein. This recipe can take some time, as you must prepare the ricotta gnocchi as well as cook asparagus, scallions, and garlic, but makes for a scrumptious and hearty meal.[7] Cook prosciutto in a lightly oiled pan for about two minutes before adding asparagus, garlic, and scallions to the mix. Cook for two more minutes until tender, and include it in the gnocchi broth.[8]
- You may also use crispy prosciutto, detailed in the first section of this guide, to use in the broth instead of cooking it with the vegetables.
- Skewer prosciutto with melon, mozzarella, and balsamic glaze. Mozzarella and melon are often considered to be the best foods to pair with prosciutto.[9] The finished skewer will be both savory and sweet at the same time, while filling your guests bellies with mozzarella.
- Alternate between cheese, fruit, and slices of prosciutto for a skewer balanced in flavor, and drizzle balsamic reduction on the finished product. [10]
EditTips
- If you want to bring out the sweet flavor of the fruit, sprinkle a little salt onto it’s flesh before serving.
- Prosciutto crudo is more flavorful than prosciutto cotto, but prosciutto cotto has a more delicate texture than prosciutto crudo. Try both to see where your preferences lie.
EditWarnings
- Don’t buy pre-sliced or pre-packaged prosciutto. It is often much harder in texture and has lost much of the flavor and appearance that defines authentic Italian prosciutto.
EditThings You'll Need
- Baking tray
- Parchment paper
- Oven
- Kitchen knife
- Large pot
EditSources and Citations
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