British breadcrumb Honey Roast Ham.

As I said Ham feels like part of my childhood at some point or another. In a rather humble way I must admit it most of the time. However having diffulty eating, (Swallowing) the thin slices are easy for me to get some proteins in my body. You can  shred Ham, tare it in little pieces. 

Shredded Ham Hock, Asparagus and Chives Pie Ingredients.

One treat was to be given the rind of a slice of Ham from everyone around the table because I loved it. I was classified as a fussy eater in my family. So my father knowing or noticing that I did like something at the very least to eat did tell the others to give the part of the Ham they liked less. Hands up in the air, I love the fat parts in a Ham more than the dryer ones...

However I do enjoy Ham and its convenience without mentioning its versatility. There is so much you can do with Ham. Preserved by Curing, Smoking or Wet Curing, it is someone's staple but also someone's delicacy. We can go around the globe at the mention of just Ham.

If we stay just in England, you may have the pleasure of having Yorkshire Ham. It has a strong taste and it is firm in texture. It is made from the back legs of a pig. I find that Ham perfect to do a Ham and Chicory Gratin. This was one of my Mum's favourite dish which she used to do during the colder days of the year.

Smoked Yorkshire Ham, tasty, and firm to give enough wrap around a Chicory.

Simply you need to butter an oven dish. I usually used for that gratin a Pyrex glass one. Blanch your entire Chicory for about 5 to 10 minutes. You are looking for two Chicory per head/guest. Meanwhile prepare a nice Béchamel Sauce. For that dish, I would recommand a pinch of grated Nutmeg, and one of White Pepper for the seasoning . I also do add a little chopped Chives and Parsley to the sauce. Rather than putting all the grated Cheese of your choice in the Béchamel, just do an half and half mojo. Half would go within the Sauce the rest will go on top of the dish for that golden Gratiné effect.

As for the kind of Cheese, my recommendation is one that melts well. I tend to go for a Gruyére or an Emmental Cheese by choice but a good Cheddar does wonders as well and for a little twist you can try a Blue Cheese. It gives the Gratin some Tang. 

Emmental Cheese, it melts delightfully.

Drain your Chicory, then let them cool a little while warming your oven up. Then you need to remove from the Chicory the small cone at the base for they are bitter. Once done nestle/ wrap the Chicory in a blanket of Ham and cover them further with your Béchamel, tucked all together in your dish. Finalise with the rest of the grated Cheese and in the oven it goes. You will then enjoy a very comforting winter dish, twenty five to thirty minutes later.

 

Staying with a Yorkshire theme but talking about another Ham from Wiltshire this time, which I like a lot, that is done with a Wet Cured method. This one is not Smoked which my partner prefers. If I have no problem about Meat being Smoked as well as Cured, he has for he finds the taste stronger. Wiltshire Ham is delicious and is a creation which did evolve throughout time by the Harris family.

 

Wiltshire Ham, simply nice.

If you take a Yorkshire Pudding, no one is stopping you to fill it with goodies... You can treat it a little bit like a quiche, or a casing to hold a delicious content. To be honest this little recipe is a joy, a perfect midweek dinner. So you need your Yorkshire Puds, ready made or home made, then you must work on the filling for them. I will say two Puds a head on that one for Dinner served with a side.

 

Yorkshire Puddings are so versatile and such a delight.

Caramelise some chopped Shallots, but whisk in the meantime Flour, Eggs and Milk to do a Quiche type of filling. Add some grated Cheese to your mix, and to your gently frying Shallots, your shredded Wiltshire Ham. Season your mix, Salt, Pepper and Thyme. Then you just have to fill your Yorkshire Puddings with the both added and gently stirred together mixture. It is simple and ready within fifteen to twenty minutes. You are just looking for a nice set and for the Puddings to not burn, so it is a give or take and a keep your eyes on the ball... But the result is very pleasing. Just serve those babies with a simple salad of Pea Shoots or Lamb Lettuce as a side drizzled with a Vinaigrette made of Rapeseed Oil and Cider Vinegar.

 

Lambs Lettuce: it has spoon shape leaves with a nice tangy taste.

 If we start to travel across the Channel and go to France we can find the delicious Bayonne Ham. The Ham is cured by the Salt of the Adour estuary and from the Salt pans found near the Béarn area of France. The drying time to age that ham take seven to ten months. Not only that every animal has its stamp of idendity and of origin to know that it has been reared in a traditional fashion in the Basque Area. There is a tang, a spicyness upon that Ham which is due for the skin to be rubbed, during the long drying process, with a Chilli of the area called the 'Piment d'Espelette'. I do grow that Chilli myself for my own use in my kitchen because if it still gives a kick to the food, it is not scorchelly killing it as per say in the Scoville Scale of Heat. Or like a French sailor would say it will not send you to the loo with a burning arse hole...

 

Le Piment d'Espelette grown in Bushey for my palate's pleasure and the one of my partner.

 

 Speaking of the Sea and the Earth, or Surf and Turf, there is a recipe which works very well with the Ham of Bayonne. At the end of the day this Ham is delicate, sweet more than being salty and with that unique spicy tang. It does marry well with Shellfish like Mussels. 

As a Sea Side girl I love my Mussels so much that it is almost a sin. 

Clean your Mussels and then cook them in a pan like wok. It is an all in on that one with the ingredients and a little sautéing motion in between. But if we decant it step by step, little knob of salty Butter, 25 mg, not more, and a drop of Olive Oil. One chopped Shallot or two, very finely, go in with the diced Bayonne Ham, and a clove or two of minced Garlic. One sliced Espelette Chilli follows, then you do add your cleaned Mussels (But make sure the ones that do not open do not go in the pan). It is just a matter of freshness there. A Splash of Bordeaux White Wine follows suit with some chopped Parsley and Chives. It takes litteraly not long to cook, less than five minutes. However this is a satisfying Lunch or light Dinner to have with a glass of Bordeaux Blanc and a slice of Pain de Campagne.

A little Sauvignon Blanc goes well with Mussels but also with the subtelty of the Jambon de Bayonne.

If we cross the Pyrenees, then we can taste Iberico Ham. This is a produce from Spain and Portugal which come from a specific kind of black Pigs fed mainly in woods upon acorn. The Curing process can take up to 48 months. You have to treat this Ham has a delicacy for all its provenance and the care that went into making it but also because of its flavour.

There is a very easy recipe to do to enjoy that Ham fully. Simply griddle some trimmed Asparagus, in season, with Salt, Pepper in Olive Oil. Then serve them wrapped in Iberico Ham along with soft boiled Quail Eggs on the side. It doesn't require any dipping Sauce or Sauce really but a little Lemony Hollandaise one doesn't do any harm at all for anyone to help themselves to.

Those dainty little Quail Eggs are fiddely most definitely but do give a sense of occasion to be considered.

This dish can be used as a Starter or an Appetiser. It feels like Spring is arriving on a plate. For pure decoration Chive flowers could be added as they are edible.

Chives Flowers. If you grow Chives, let it flower for the bees and yourself.

Remaining in Spain, you can get Serrano Ham which translates to the Ham of the Mountains. It is dried Cured in 'secaderos' high up in hills and mountains for  six to eighteen months. It is globally one of the most recognised produce of Spain. It is like Iberico Ham dark in colour. 

Of course this Spanish Ham can be served by itself for its taste, somewhat fatty, which stands for it. However it is nice to cut it to feed a crowd but also to pair it with the cutting sweet acidity of fresh Tomatoes. If you get a nice long crusty Bread like a Baguette, slice it and toast it a little in the oven, either rubbed beforehand by a skinned Garlic clove or brushed by Garlic Oil, you will have the base for a perfect rustic Canapé for a Garden Party.

The Baguette is ever so useful to create Rustic little Canapés.

All that needs to be done then is to prepare the topping: The Tomatoes because the star of the show the Serrano Ham is already here to be used and waiting for its pedestal. Chop a variety of Tomatoes. Make it quirky. Plum Tomatoes, Indigo Rose ones, Santorange, Bumblebees, Moneymakers... There are plenty of different varieties out there that you can grow. You name it: put them in a spoonfull of Olive Oil in a frying pan to just break them down slightly together. This is the time to season them, keep it simple, nice Sea Salt, nice crushed black Peppercorn, minced Garlic and a chopped fresh Aromatic Herb of your liking: Thyme, Oregano, Marjoram, Basil... I would say something that reminds you of the Med' Sea shores...

The Quirky Tomatoes Harvest...

Then you just have to spoon your mixture of Tomatoes, spread it nicely upon your toasted Baguette slices, and put a Serrano slice rolled upon each of them like a Rose. If you have Micro Leaf Basil for a garnish to finish this Canapé off go for it or a Greek Basil one...

Greek Basil, Fragant and Dainty. Superb for decorating a plate.

 From Spain and Portugal, we will travel to another famous Ham Land, Italy. There we have to mention the Prosciutto of course. That delicious thin Ham which is almost transluscent comes as the Crudo which is Cured and the Cotto is Cooked as well as Cured usually via Brining. Then there are lots of more differentiation between Prosciuttos depending upon the aera of Italy they were done. Hence the Protection of Produce of Origin establishes those diverging qualities, all the things, flavours, type of Curing, etc which make a Ham special. For example you would not say that a Stilton Cheese is similar to a Cornish Blue or a Shropshire Blue. Although they are all classified as Blue Cheeses, they have their own distinctions which we should always acknowledge. The same goes for all the Prosciutto Hams coming from different parts of Italy. It is all about recognition. 

 

Morosini Prosciutto Crudo. Thin and Tasty.

In my opinion the Prosciutto Crudo are delicious Summer Hams despite the process of making them, Curing them, which does start traditionnaly in Winter months, because then the temperatures are right to avoid the Meat to spoil. It can take roughly nine months to two years to cure this Ham, from Winter Wonderland to Summer Wonderland. Let us speak about a recipe that a lot knows about:

Wrapped Prosciutto di Parma around a slice of Melon. Tata, no ChiChi, no PomPom 'Et Voilà', you do get a light and delightful Appetiser. It is also enjoyable to wrap a slice of Prosciutto around a Grissini. It makes a simple yet nice Antipasto. It is mainly due to the quality of the Prosciutto.  

Cantaloupe Melon has a deliciously sweet orange flesh which add colour to a plate.

If you create a BBQ party in your Garden, those Appetisers/ Antipasti will be so easy to do and add to the delight of everyone that you can join them in no time at all for a little cold glass of Prosseco where you can talk of your past or planned holidays in a cheerful chat. Same as for the choice of Prosciuttos there are a lot of different Melon varieties out there which could each show case different Prosciuttos and therefore be a point of disscussion just as well. So such a platter with all the variation of vibrant colours can only please. However to please everybody create a platter of various Melons crescents without the Ham also to display them like sunrays on a large dish. 'Here comes the Sun, little Darlings' song from Nina Simone springs to mind.

Here comes the Sun, Nina Simone's song

This can also be an opportunity to keep the seeds, pips of Melons to dry and use for next year to grow in your Garden. From a colourful party to a colourful but extremelly useful Garden, think like a creator of space like Capability Brown was one.

Watermelon, Honeydew Melon and Cantaloupe Melon, their sweetness can only warm your Summer.

Anyhow to come back to Summer parties, some can also happen indoors during a Summer rainy day which mustn't make you to call it a Day right away. On the contrary, if you have Proscuitto Ham at hand, Sundried Tomatoes, Mozzarella pearls or little chunks of a large Mozzarella ball, fresh Basil leaves, then you can do little rolls held by the Ham. A slice of Proscuitto will wrap around nicely to almost anything. It is still Summery as a starter which can be eaten either cold/ or at room temperature or slightly hot if you want a little melt on the Mozzarella and a little crispiness on your Prosciutto Ham.

Vivaldi, Summer Storm

However to classify this Ham just as an Appetiser will do it wrong because it is so deliciously versatile that it can please your palate in so many different ways. A notch further, let us bring the Starter course after the Appetiser. Just one example of a Starter when the leaves upon the treas are starting to change colours: The humble Fig wrapped in Parma Ham to keep it soft and sweet, a little nugget of Dolcelatte Cheese placed at its centre, a chopped Sage leaf, and to finish it off some very finely chopped Hazelnuts. You can serve this Starter on a bed of Rocket leaves for some pepperiness and drizzle it with a thick Balsamic dressing.

Figs do go very well with Smoked and Cured Ham, it is a little like marriage made in Heaven.

Saltimbocca is a delicious Main which involves Proscuitto wrapping a Veal Escalope. Within the Ham wrap or parcel, you must put a couple of Sage Leaves to infuse the Escalope with their peppery flavour. Since Ancient Greece times Sage has been used for Medical and Culinary purposes. This Medditerranean Aromatic Herb goes very well with Pork in general. Now if the traditional Veal doesn't appeal to you however succulent it may be, by all means you can swap it for a flattened breast of Chicken or a delicate Fish and wrap them using the Saltimbocca method.

 The Common Sage, the leaves are slightly velvety upon the touch and flavoursome. 

Basically the Prosciutto Ham gives a blanket not only full of flavour to impart to your Meat but also while cooking your parcels, either flat or in a cylindrical shape, it will keep the white flesh of the Meat tender and moist. Crispy on the outside, soft in the middle is the aim. 

Staying by the shores of Italy for our Ham influences, of course there is the Prosciutto Cotto. Rather than almost red, this Ham, unlike his uncook cousin the Prosciutto Crudo, is cooked and bright pink. The taste is lighter than its counterpart. But it doesn't mean less succulent due to the process involved creating it: Some includes Spices, some includes Truffles, some includes Herbs or all three.

 Prosciutto Cotto with Thyme.

Prosciutto Cotto is delicious eating on its own with a little glass of al Fresco White Wine during a hot Summer day. However you can get so much more out of it by being creative. 

First you can do little Canapés with this Ham. Upon Crostinis layered with a spread of Gorgonzola Cheese, you can put a small slice of Prosciutto Cotto cut to the size of your Crostinis then to finish the decoration, place a pickled Walnut on top. This is an end of Summer little number to be honest but which is full of Flavour.

Walnuts, Pickled or not add to the texture of the Canapés.

You can Brunch lavishisly as well with a couple of slices of Herby Prociutto Cotto within a Ciabatta, all of it, layered with thick slices of Mozzarella Cheese, Tomatoes and finsish off with Basil leaves. One Ciabatta to get you going one! Prompto!

Ciabatta Rolls, light and fulfilling at the same time.

Speaking of Ciabatta, you can slice them to make a Bruschetta which could make an excellent Starter. Rub a skinned Garlic clove upon the slices, then brush them with Truffle Oil. We are going for the simply decadent here. While you are giving  the slices a gentle toasting in the oven, Sauté some various sliced seasonal Mushroom in a frying pan, along with some finely chopped Shallots and a minced Garlic clove. A little drizzle of Olive Oil will suffice for the pan and a little knob of Salted Butter. Add the Truffle Prosciutto Cotto in little pieces with Thyme leaves in the pan. When all is ready it is just a matter of assembling and presenting.

Mushrooms, can give a nice Autaumnal feel to your Starter. 

It is about preparing the plates with Red Raddicchio leaves and Rocket leaves, dressed with a Balsamic Vinegrette. For a little saltiness you can add on your Salad a Cheese, either cubes of Ricotta, or bits of Gorgonzola. For a little acidity you can compliment your dish with pickled Walnuts or pickled Mushrooms. Place your Bruschetta on top of the Salad, then pour the content of your sautéed Shrooms and Prosciutto upon your slice of Ciabatta. Finally grate or slice a Truffle for decoration as well as Taste upon your Forestiére Bruschetta.

 Don't forget the fragrant Thyme in your Sautéed Mushrooms.