Five Parma Ham recipes to enjoy this summer

Make the most of the warm weather with the finest Parma Ham recipes.

The warm weather always presents the perfect opportunity to celebrate in true British fashion – by gathering 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 fresh salads.

Prosciutto di Parma (commonly 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 12 months of ageing by an independent inspection body, after which it is branded with the 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 

1. Heat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6 and line a couple of large baking trays with parchment paper.  
2. 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. 
3. 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.  
4. 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. 
5. 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.  
6. 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. 

 

Mini Parma Ham Crostini

A classic Italian appetiser served with a topping of your choice.

 Serves 6 - 10

INGREDIENTS

 

For the crostini:

• Ciabatta loaf, sliced into 2cm slices
• Extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
• Sea salt flakes
• Black pepper

For the toppings:

• 10 Cherry tomatoes, halved
• 4 Fresh figs, quartered
• 6 Strips of Prosciutto di Parma, halved
• 2 Sprigs of mint leaves
• Artichoke hearts, quartered
• Mini mozzarella balls
• Walnuts, halved
• Goat's cheese

 

METHOD

1. Lay the ciabatta slices on the baking tray, so they are not touching. Drizzle with olive oil and season.
2. Place the figs onto a separate baking tray along with the tomatoes and drizzle with a little olive oil.
3. Place the bread, figs, and tomatoes into the oven. After 10 minutes, remove from the oven.
4. After a further 8 minutes, remove the crostini's when golden brown.
5. To decorate – start by adding the ingredients to the two styles of crostini's, by adding small amounts and making them uniform. Tip – for the cherry tomatoes, burst them open as you rub them over the ciabatta, so the flavour covers the slices.
6. Once the main ingredients have been added, drizzle over some extra olive oil and a sprinkle of sea salt flakes.
7. Finish by adding the Parma Ham in a twist on top.
8. Serve on a large plate to share or as an appetiser before dinner.

 

Prosciutto di Parma, red onion & olive focaccia

A tasty 'tear and share' dish ideal for outdoor gatherings and summertime picnics.

Cuts into 12-15

INGREDIENTS

• 500g Strong white bread flour, plus extra for kneading
• 7g Sachet fast-action dried yeast
• 8 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for greasing
• 2 Red onions, each cut into 8 wedges
• 4 Sprigs rosemary, split into smaller sprigs
• 20 Green olives, pitted
• 8-10 Slices Prosciutto di Parma

METHOD

1. Tip the flour into a large bowl, add the yeast to one side of the flour and 1 tsp fine salt to the other side, then mix everything together. Make a well in the center and measure in 4 tbsp olive oil, then gradually add 300ml lukewarm water, mixing until you have a slightly sticky dough. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead for 10 minutes, until smooth and stretchy, then shape into a ball - if you have a stand mixer add the dry and wet ingredients to the bowl and let the dough hook do the hard work. Pop the dough into a large, oiled bowl, cover with a tea towel and leave in a warm place for 1-2 hours, or until doubled in size.
2. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Grease and line a large roasting tin - about 20cm x 30cm. Gently lift the dough into the tin, stretching and pushing it into the corners. Cover with a tea towel and leave to prove again in a warm place for 35-45 minutes.
3. Meanwhile mix together the onion wedges, rosemary and olives in a bowl together with 1 tbsp olive oil.
4. Uncover the dough, make a few indentations into the surface using your hands, then scatter over the onions, rosemary, olives, and their oil pushing them into the indentations.
5. Rub each slice of Prosciutto di Parma in the onion bowl to coat in a little oil then arrange on top, nestling in and tucking under some of the onion, scatter with a little coarse sea salt, avoiding the Prosciutto di Parma. Transfer to the oven and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until the bread is golden.
6. From the oven and quickly drizzle over the 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil while it's still hot. Leave to cool then cut into squares before wrapping up and taking on your picnic.

 

 

Grilled Taleggio cheese and Prosciutto di Parma

 The ideal summertime comfort food, easy to make and simply delectable.

 

Serves 4

 

INGREDIENTS

 

• 8 Slices of bread
• 8 Slices of Prosciutto di Parma
• 300g Taleggio cheese
• Pepper
• Butter to taste

 

METHOD

1. Butter one side of the 8 slices of bread. On the non-buttered side of 4 slices arrange the sliced Taleggio cheese, sprinkle with pepper, then top with the slices of Prosciutto di Parma.
2. Top with the other 4 slices of bread with the buttered side up.
3. Heat up a non-stick frying pan, put the sandwiches in and cover with a lid and leave until the bottom side is nice and golden, then flip the sandwiches and do the same on the other side.
4. Serve immediately.

 

Chopped potato salad with crispy Prosciutto di Parma

Creamy potatoes paired with crispy Parma Ham; this versatile dish is a great addition to any summer recipe book.

 

Serves 6-8

 

INGREDIENTS

 

• 1kg New potatoes, chopped into smaller chunks
• 2 tsp Olive oil
• 6 Slices of Prosciutto di Parma
• 125g Mayonnaise
• 125g Greek yoghurt
• 2 tbsp Capers, drained and roughly chopped
• 2 tbsp Chopped dill, plus extra to serve
• 4 tbsp Chopped chives, plus extra to serve
• Half a lemon, for squeezing
• 3 Sticks of celery, finely chopped
• 3 Hard-boiled eggs, peeled and roughly chopped

 

METHOD

 

1. Put the potatoes in a pan of salted water, bring to the boil, then cover and simmer for 8-10 mins or until cooked through – a cutlery knife should easily pierce them. Drain and leave to cool in a colander.
2. Meanwhile, heat a drizzle of oil in a frying pan and cook the Prosciutto di Parma until beginning to crisp, transfer to a plate lined with kitchen paper to cool and crisp further, then break into pieces.
3. To make the dressing, in a large bowl mix together the mayonnaise, yoghurt, capers, dill, chives, seasoning and a good squeeze of lemon juice to taste.
4. Tip the potatoes and celery into the dressing and gently stir to combine, then fold in the egg. Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with a little dill and chives and the crispy Prosciutto di Parma. When transporting for a picnic, keep the crispy Prosciutto di Parma in a separate container so it stays nice and crisp.

 

-END-

About Parma Ham

Parma Ham is a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) product that is 100% natural, free of nitrites and nitrates. 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 makes Prosciutto di Parma a food that can be enjoyed by everyone.

Prosciutto di Parma is made with only 2 ingredients – Italian pork and sea salt – and is exclusively produced in the hills around Parma using all-natural production methods that have been handed down for generations.

Parma Ham's unique taste is dependent on the traditional production process passed down over the centuries, which is carefully quality checked by an independent certification body to ensure every leg of ham is of the highest quality. At the end of the ageing period, each leg of ham is individually quality-checked by an independent inspector, who inserts a horse bone into 5 different points of the ham and smells it to ensure it is appropriately matured.

It is only hams that have passed these checks that can be awarded the fire-branded stamp of the Ducal Crown – a five-pointed coronet logo with PARMA in the centre. The Ducal Crown is now a certification trademark, which is also present on pre-sliced packs of Parma Ham.

For more information, please visit www.prosciuttodiparma.com or follow Parma Ham on Twitter and Instagram.

To support a local Parma Ham Specialist deli in your area, visit: https://specialist.prosciuttodiparma.com/ 

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