Parma Ham Recipe to Enjoy This Summer

The warmer summer weather always gives us the ideal opportunity to celebrate in true British fashion. By getting together outdoors with friends and family over some delicious food and drinks. 

Often hailed as a healthy alternative to bacon, Parma Ham is a natural product with no additives or preservatives, making it the perfect healthy choice to add flavour to anything from picnic palmiers, crispy canapés, and yummy fresh salads.

Prosciutto di Parma (often known as Parma Ham in English), is a product with Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status. It is therefore made according to precise production methods that have undergone very few changes over the years. Every leg of ham is individually quality-checked after exactly a year of ageing by an independent inspection body, after which it is branded with the special 5-point Ducal Crown. This symbol is also present on all supermarket packaging, making the authentic Parma Ham easily identifiable.   

Parma Ham is the star of the show in these seasonal dishes – from small bites to picnic favourites, there is something for everyone to bring the taste of Italy to British summertime.

Prosciutto di Parma Palmiers

A simple puff pastry dish perfect for sharing as well as a delicious Parma Ham pairing.

Makes 28  

INGREDIENTS 

320g Sheet ready-rolled puff pastry

Flour for dusting

4 tsp. Sundried tomato paste

50g Parmigiano Reggiano

6 slices Prosciutto di Parma

1 Egg, beaten

METHOD 

Heat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6 and line a couple of large baking trays with parchment paper.  

Unravel your pastry sheet onto a lightly floured surface with the long edge facing you. Spread the sundried tomato paste all over the pastry, right to the edges, then evenly scatter over the Parmigiano Reggiano. Gently roll with a rolling pin to flatten the cheese a little. Top with the Prosciutto di Parma slices, laying them flat and evenly over the pastry. 

With the long edge facing you, fold the top quarter of the pastry down and the bottom quarter up. Repeat, folding the bottom up and the top down, so that the pastry meets, and you have a seam in the middle.  

Roll along the pastry pushing down gently to compact a little, then brush the top with the beaten egg. Fold in half along the seam, then chill in the freezer for 20 mins. 

Transfer the dough to a chopping board and cut into slices just under 1cm thick using a floured knife. Place well apart on the prepared trays.  

Gently pull the ends of each palmier apart slightly to make a kind of heart shape. Sprinkle very lightly with a little more Parmigiano Reggiano and bake for 15-20 mins, or until golden and cooked through. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. 

To find and support a local Parma Ham Specialist deli in your area, visit:

 https://specialist.prosciuttodiparma.com/