Parma ham, wilted spinach and toasted pine nuts; ham and bean bruschetta and chicken saltimbocca. All recipes serve 4
PARMA HAM, WILTED SPINACH AND TOASTED PINE NUTS
1 heaped tbsp pine nuts
olive oil
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
1 tbsp each chopped fresh marjoram and parsley
500g baby spinach, washed and drained
8 slices Parma ham or similar
1 lemon, trimmed and quartered
Toast the pine nuts in a hot dry frying pan until they are lightly coloured, then transfer them to a cool plate and set aside. Heat a saucepan large enough to take the spinach and add two tablespoons of olive oil. Add the marjoram and parsley, cook for a few seconds and then add the garlic and spinach. Toss and then cover with a lid and turn the heat down to moderate. The spinach will take about a minute; don't over cook it.
Pile the spinach and herb mixture on to four plates. Lay the Parma ham alongside and serve with a lemon quarter, a generous drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkling of pine nuts.
HAM AND BEAN BRUSCHETTA
extra virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
10 fresh sage leaves, finely chopped
400g tinned cannellini beans
salt and pepper
4 slices good quality bread
4 slices Parma ham (or similar)
Heat four tablespoon of olive oil in a frying pan over a medium heat, add the garlic and sage and saute gently until the garlic is pale gold. Add the beans, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring, for three minutes.
Toast the bread on a griddle (or grill) and drizzle olive oil over it. Lay a slice of Parma ham on each slice, spoon the beans on top and serve at once. For a more substantial lunch, add a poached egg.
CHICKEN SALTIMBOCCA
4 chicken breasts
8 slices Parma ham
12 sage leaves
well seasoned flour
300ml Marsala wine
olive oil
Put the chicken breasts on a chopping board, cover them with clingfilm and batter with a rolling pin until they are about one centimetre thick. Lay the sage on top and wrap each breast in two slices of Parma ham. Dust in the seasoned flour. Heat a few tablespoons of oil in a hot frying pan and saute the chicken for three to four minutes on each side until cooked. Add the Marsala, allow it to bubble up and then remove the chicken parcels. Let the wine boil down to a syrupy consistency and spoon it over the chicken before serving.