A recent visit to Costco, a big box everything store, revealed a nice
package of Proscuitto di Parma. Each transparently thin slice of
this wonderful Italian salt-cured, air-dried but not smoked ham was separated
by a thin plastic divider that peeled right off. You’ve had this
ham with melon or with cheese and crackers. It’s best eaten uncooked.
However, it can be cooked to good effect if added a
la minute. For example:
Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus
1. Trim and wash some asparagus and boil in lightly
salted water for about 6 minutes until just barely tender.
Scoop the cooked asparagus out of the boiling water and
into an awaiting bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process
and to retain the bright green color.
2. When cooled, drain off the ice and water and place the asparagus
on a paper towel to dry.
3. Peel off a slice of Prosciutto di Parma, place
5 or 6 spears of cooked asparagus on the prosciutto and
wrap and roll the whole thing up. Repeat for all and set
aside.
4. When ready, place the asparagus wraps in a greased pan and
reheat in a preheated 400F oven for about eight minutes.
5. Serve immediately. Shown here with The Little Woman’s
chipped beef on toast.
Note: You may add a grind of pepper or other seasoning
to the asparagus before wrapping them up, but beware that
the prosciutto is salty.
