(NAPSI)—Here’s a great way to make holiday entertaining easier and more fun for everyone: Ham it up. Not with just any ham, however. Stock up on Prosciutto di Parma. Prosciutto di Parma is an excellent item to keep in your fridge during the holidays because it offers a variety of ways to elevate any meal, from your main dish to festive appetizers or straight out of the package to the plate for a last-minute charcuterie board.
Prosciutto, which means “ham” in Italian, is aged by a special dry-curing process. Discriminating palates are partial to the delicate, savory flavor of Prosciutto di Parma. It can be produced only from specially bred pigs in the countryside surrounding the city of Parma, Italy. In Parma, the art of making prosciutto is passed on from generation to generation and the methods used thousands of years ago have remained consistent. So has the guarantee of the Parma Crown, fire-branded on every leg, and visible on every presliced package, so that you know it’s a 100 percent natural product made with no additives or preservatives, just sea salt, air and time.
One great way to serve it is in this elegant, flavorful appetizer.
Prosciutto di Parma Cranberry Crostini
⅓ cup cranberry compote (recipe below)
1 18-inch baguette
¼ lb melting cheese such as white cheddar, grated
10 slices Prosciutto di Parma
Extra virgin olive oil, as needed
Cranberry compote
12 oz fresh or frozen cranberries
3 Tbsp butter
6 Tbsp light brown sugar
6 Tbsp maple syrup
1 Tbsp grated orange rind
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
⅛ tsp salt
Preheat oven to 350° F. For the cranberry compote: Rinse and drain the cranberries well. Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat. Stir in the cranberries and other ingredients. Cook, stirring occasionally, until cranberries start to break down and mixture thickens, about 8 to 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.
For the crostini appetizer: Slice baguette into 24 rounds about ½-inch thick. Place rounds on a baking sheet and drizzle lightly with olive oil. Bake until toasted, about 5 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.
Divide cheese on top of the toast rounds and return to the oven. Bake until the cheese has melted, about 5 minutes. Top with a thin layer of cranberry compote, then place ½ slice of prosciutto on top.
The tart cranberries paired with sweet yet salty Prosciutto di Parma and savory cheese will have you and your guests enjoying these crostini all night long. Bursting with flavors just right for the holidays, they pair well with a bold red wine to bring out all the rich flavors further.
Learn More
For more holiday inspiration, visit https://parmacrown.com/seasons/.
