“All producers of Prosciutto di Parma share one goal: To cure a leg of pork with pure sea salt in order to keep the meat as sweet-tasting and as supple as possible.”
Official Prosciutto di Parma website
So we’d visited Parma, and we were driving north towards Hamburg. In Parma we’d picked up, among other foodie goodies, some Parma ham. Scant time to stop for lunch, we extemporised, winding the soft pink pork around some sesame seeded breadsticks providentially picked up at the last refuelling (all types) pit stop.
Of course, I’ve had breadsticks wrapped in Parma ham before – but never with the sesame seeds – and they are unconscionably good – good with a preprandial, great for picnics. However, it’s important that the breadsticks are good quality – Waitrose own brand is dry, tasteless and sport about five sesame sticks each. No good.
But the good quality sticks are so good, in fact, that they are perfect unadorned – but below are some fancy-pants ideas involving Parma ham wrapped sesame breadsticks:
- Serve them with a dip – it could be a plain, high quality, syrupy balsamic vinegar; or a pesto and ricotta mix – throw in a few pine nuts; or just plain pesto
- Wrap the breadsticks within the ham together with a stem of something peppery – rocket or watercress; or a lightly cooked spear of asparagus
- Partner them with soup – parsnip, pumpkin, or tomato are all good
- Serve together with a goat cheese log (try a Riblaire St Varent, or Bosworth Ash); or, if you are feeling lush, with a hot, baked camembert
- Or spread the ham with herby Boursin before wrapping
