The Daily Morsel

Prosciutto Purses

Adapted from Lidia Cooks from the Heart of Italy by Lidia Bastianich

This little appetizer is a cute, fun, and tasty little bite.  These prosciutto purses are great for serving to a small number of guests, and a great appetizer to utilize helpers.  Get an assembly line together and they will be done in no time.  These salty bites are also great with a glass of Prosecco or sparkling apple cider.  If you can get it, buy real Prosciutto de Parma from a deli that slices it to order.

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Makes: 16 purses, serves 4-5 for appetizers

Ingredients

8 slices of Prosciutto de Parma (preferably fresh sliced from a deli if possible), you want the slices as wide as possible (about 4”w x 8”h), and that may be hard to find if you buy it pre-sliced in a grocery store.  If so, double up on the prosciutto, laying the slices side-by-side, slightly overlapping to form wider pieces.

16 chives, as long as you can get them

½ cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, freshly grated

1-2 tablespoons butter

Fresh ripe figs, pears, or melon – cut into thin slices (whichever fruit is in season)

Process

Separate out the Prosciutto de Parma slices and cut each piece in half lengthwise to make squares about 4×4”.

Have your chives and freshly grated cheese nearby to assemble the purses.

Place 1 teaspoon of freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese in the center of a prosciutto square, gather the edges together at the top in a bunch to form a purse, and tie it with a chive.  Repeat with the remaining prosciutto squares.

Once all purses are made cut your fruit of choice into thin slices or wedges.  I prefer slices.

Heat 1-2 tablespoons of butter in a large non-stick skillet over medium-low heat.  Add the prosciutto purse to the skillet and cook just until they begin to brown on the bottom, about 4 minutes.  If necessary, cook them in batches.

Transfer the prosciutto purses to a plate and serve with the melon, pear, or figs alongside.  I like to place my purse on top of a slice of fruit and eat it that way to get the flavor combination.

Tags: appetizers, cheese, chives, Parmigiano-Reggiano, pork, prosciutto, Prosciutto de Parma, snacks

This entry was posted on Monday, March 14th, 2011 at 6:00 am and is filed under Appetizers, Recipes, Snacks. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.