Prosciutto and Sourdough with Apple Butter

This Prosciutto and Sourdough is the perfect recipe for any gathering. It’s shareable, durable, and has two classic crowd-pleasers: meat and carbs. For our end of summer party, we also added apple butter to the bread for an bit of extra sweet decadence. You can choose to omit that for simpler preparation, if you’d like, but we think this Prosciutto and Sourdough is worth the wait.

About Prosciutto

Prosciutto, like many other renowned European foods, is the subject of complex regional feuds about who can and cannot produce it. The perhaps-best known Prosciuttio is Prosciutto di Parma, from the Emilio-Romagna region. Prosciutto di San Daniele from Friuli-Venezia Giulia is another high-quality type of prosciutto.

The techniques used to make them differ in a few respects, the main one being salt: Prosciutto di Parma is rubbed with salt at the start of the aging process, and is thus a bit saltier. Prosciutto di San Daniele is, for lack of a better word, hammier because it is less salt-forward in the tasting experience. The prosciutto you find vacuum-packed at a standard supermarket may be American-made, and thus neither Parma nor San Daniele.

If you want to impress a food snob, start talking about the origins of your prosciutto the same way you would wine…but first, taste your way into connoisseurship. You’ll enjoy the process, and you’ll emerge with a preference based on experience.

Prosciutto and Sourdough

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• Author: Chef Kevin Hermann
• Yield: Serves 12 1x

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Description

A perfect starter for a summer meal.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

For the prosciutto:

• 24 ea Prosciutto, sliced paper thin
• 2 cup Apple butter
• 8 oz Aged cheddar cheese
• ½ cup Balsamic vinegar glaze
• ½ cup Extra virgin olive oil
• 12 ea Sourdough sliced, or your favorite crusty-rustic bread

For the apple butter:

• 8 ea Apples, granny smith or honey-crisp apples (skin on, core removed, large chunks)
• 3 tbsp Butter
• ½ cup Sugar
• ½ cup Brown sugar
• 2 tbsp Vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp Cinnamon, ground
• 1 tbsp Allspice, ground
• 1 tbsp Ginger, ground
• 1 tsp Nutmeg, ground
• 4 cup Apple cider
• 3 tbsp Butter, cubed small

Sourdough Toast

• 12 ea Sourdough slices
• ¼ cup Extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp Sea salt

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Instructions

For the apple butter:

1. In a heavy bottom sauce pot over medium heat add the 3tbsp butter and brown until nutty aroma.
2. Add the cut apples and stir into browning butter. Add sugar, brown sugar, vanilla and remaining spices.
3. Stir to combine all ingredients and add apple cider.
4. Bring mixture to a simmer and turn heat to low. Stir consistently to keep mixture from sticking.
5. Cook down the apple mixture until almost dry. This will take 1 – 1.5 hrs. Time takes time here, but enjoy the aroma as the mixture reduces.
6. Once mixture has reduced, turn off heat and purée the mixture with immersion blender adding remaking 3 tbsp of butter until smooth.
7. Allow mixture to cool fully.
8. Refrigerate for up to 7 days.

For the sourdough toast:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Lay sliced bread on baking sheet tray.
3. Brush bread with EVOO and sprinkle with sea salt.
4. Toast in oven until golden brown on the edges.
5. Allow to cool prior to serving.

Plating:

1. Spread 1 tbsp of apple butter onto each slice of toasted sourdough.
2. Gently fold and feather the prosciutto on the toast. 2 slices of prosciutto for each slice of sourdough toast.
3. Sprinkle the toast with the aged cheddar.
4. Drizzle with balsamic glaze and EVOO.
5. Pinch of sea salt helps to add an extra flavor pop.

Recipe by Chef Kevin Hermann
Photography by Dave Bryce

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