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Cooking
with Spanish Ham
 Cooking
with Spanish ham adds flavour to a multitude of recipes,
cured ham in Spain in often served as a tapa with an alcoholic
drink but Serrano ham is just as at home in the kitchen
as it is on the tapas bar. There are quite a few dishes,
both hot and cold that can be complimented by good ham,
some require the ham being hand carved directly from the
leg itself while other recipes call for pre sliced ham for
wrapping. Here we will discover some classic Spanish recipe
ideas as well as some rather different and lesser known
ideas for incorporating Spanish ham into your cooking.
Serrano
ham as an ingredient
There
are various ways to incorporate Serrano ham into recipes
which will offer a real Spanish twist to your dishes.
Ham can be sliced in different ways but the most common
are hand carved slivers, strips or diced pieces. The way
in which you prepare your ingredient will depend on the
dish ie: when stuffing, diced ham is far more workable,
hand carved ham is better for recipes that require that
authentic touch or when arranging an artistic display,
as when carving direct from the leg you yourself can determine
and cut the ham to required size and to a degree, its
shape. Vacuum packed ham also has its place, better from
the leg but when it comes to wrapping say, fish fillets
then the machine sliced ham certainly has its role being
more pliable and broader through the slice.
However
you intend to cook with your ham it is worth bearing in
mind that flavours do vary between mild “bodega”
ham through to “Gran reservas” which are more
intense. It may seem like sacrilege to cook those ham
slices but the results are truly worth it!
Hot
dishes
Serrano
ham goes extremely well with chicken, the flavour pairing
is a real gastronomic experience so much so that the Granada
region of Spain has its very own “Pollo Granadina”
or Granada chicken. The recipe uses diced Serrano ham
which, when cooked with the chicken, turns almost crispy
and adds a mild saltiness to what is essentially a very
simple dish. Staying with chicken, Serrano ham either
diced or cut into strips also works very well with tomato
salsa adding flavour to the delicious ‘Pollo con
tomates”. Chicken breast can also be stuffed with
Serrano ham and for the simple joint of pork even Christmas
turkey try draping some thin slices over the top of the
meat for an authentic bacon influence to your cooking.
Cooking
with Serrano ham need not be complicated; after all it
is simply an ingredient, a compliment or addition of flavour
so whether you intend to serve it crispy, mix with pasta
or wrap up that fish fillet Serrano ham is sure add a
real hint of Andalucia to your cooking.
Cooking with Iberico Ham
Cold
dishes
As
one of Andalucia’s most famous tapas you are likely
to receive Serrano ham in any Spanish bar, either on its
own or accompanied by bread and olive oil or with fruit
or nuts. One of the more famous pairing is with melon;
the Cantaloupe melon works best pairing the sweetness
of the fruit with the mild saltiness of the ham, an ideal
weekend breakfast! Serrano ham is also used in a variety
of salads adding flavour to fresh summer lunchtime dishes.
Manchego cheese is another favourite as are grapes, figs,
almonds, cold smoked salmon and ripe vine tomatoes.
With
cold dishes we also enter the world of Iberico ham, the
famous cured ham from pigs fed on “bellotas”
or acorns. This ham is expensive and rarely used in cooking
hot dishes. The flavour of Iberian ham is very different
to that of Serrano ham and as such requires very simple
pairing and accompaniments, at 50.00+ euros a kilo that
flavour needs to be truly savoured! Iberico ham works
with seafood such as king prawns, many salads and also
the lightest of grillings on a quails egg tostada, also
try some iberico ham shavings over a cold melon soup –
delicious.
Which
part is best?
As
mentioned at the top of this page it may seem rather odd
to start cooking with your ham straight away, after all,
Spanish ham can be expensive and one needs to enjoy all
those flavours and aromas especially when the ham is first
cut into. A plump 8kg Serrano ham will last for up to
6 weeks (see ham
storage) but during the latter stages of its
life the ham can still produce some moist meat. The area
around the “punta” or the top of the ham opposite
the hoof is the most difficult to carve, it is from this
area that, with a sharp boning knife you can achieve thicker
slices which can then be chopped and diced for your recipes.
This area also tends to be slightly more intense in the
flavour department because the meat is narrow and any
remaining salts after the ham has been washed have travelled
“south” while the ham has been hanging.
Meat
can also dry out during the latter stages, should this
be the case then you have the ideal opportunity to remove
and finely dice this part of the ham to almost a breadcrumb
consistency – great over soups or sprinkle over your
roast pork or chicken for added flavour.
Cooking with Serrano Ham
The
ham bone
There
comes a time where the meat from every full bone in ham
will be exhausted however there is still life in that
old ham yet! Even the expert ham carvers will tell you
that it is impossible to remove 100% of the meat –
particularly around the hip joint which is one the more
challenging places to carve from. What you will have left
is a leg that will make a unique and very flavoursome
stock.
The
best way to achieve a good stock from a full ham bone
is to divide it into thirds or quarters depending on the
size of your pan. The hoof will need to be discarded but
the remaining bone can be boiled up, bagged and frozen
for later use if required. Whilst making your Spanish
ham stock add some black peppercorns, bay leaves, carrot,
leek or onion to enhance the flavour. Ham bone stock is
a great basis for a mixed meat paella and can also be
used for broths, soups and of course stews.
Health
benefits
Serrano
ham is easily digestible and contains high levels of acidic
and unsaturated fats which help regulate cholesterol levels.
It is an ideal food for a balanced healthy diet due to
nutritional properties. Each ham contains vitamins B1
and B2, iron, phosphorus and proteins. The fat content
in Serrano ham is an important factor effecting quality.
Fat helps balance curing and plays an important role in
the result of a premium quality ham. The fat surrounding
the meat need not be discarded and should be enjoyed as
a flavoursome part of the ham.
Other
Spanish cured meats
There
are other Spanish cured meats which deserve a mention
and are also great in the kitchen. Chorizo is by far the
most popular Spanish sausage and lends itself to cooking
very well indeed. Try chorizo braised in cider with apple
or a chicken and chorizo fry up for lunchtime tapas. Pan
fried chorizo also works over spinach and is great with
tomato salsas, the humble chorizo also comes in various
strengths so you can choose how spicy you need a recipe
to be. Don’t forget the barbeque either; mildy cured
chorizo is delicious on kebab skewers with apple and pork.
Pancetta
is mildly cured belly pork (similar to streaky bacon)
and although salty is a good substitute for fried bacon,
try a tostada with fresh ripe tomatoes to balance the
flavours or add strips to pork and liver dishes. Morcilla
is a Spanish black pudding made in sausage form, a famous
blood sausage from Spain morcilla is usually sliced and
lightly fried in olive oil but there are other ways to
enjoy it – Wrap morcilla in fresh pancetta and slow
cook for a melt in the mouth dish with a cinnamon twist
or use sliced in one of the most famous dished from the
north of Spain “Fabada Asturiana”.
Cooking with Spanish Ham
Enjoy
. . .
No
matter how you decide to cook with your Spanish ham, enjoy
the flavour, recipes from Spain by their very nature are
simple and let the ingredients do the talking. Serrano
or Iberico ham conjures a unique, gourmet taste of southern
Spain and are extremely versatile so whether you are planning
a roast, a salad or an arrangement of Spanish tapas, enjoy
your ham and a true flavour of Spain!
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Copyright 2011 Orce Serrano Hams - www.orceserranohams.com
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