Roasted Asparagus Bundles Wrapped in Jamón

Name: Roasted Asparagus Bundles Wrapped in Jamón
Ingredients: 1 lb (about 20 stalks) of asparagus spears; 6-8 paper-thin slices of Jamón, cured Spanish ham*; 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil; Freshly ground pepper; ½ cup freshly grated Reggiano Parmesan; Shaved Reggiano Parmesan; 1 lemon, quartered

AuthorJackie DeKnockCategoryGOURMET ADVENTURE, Spain

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Yields1 Serving

1 lb (about 20 stalks) of asparagus spears

6-8 paper-thin slices of Jamón, cured Spanish ham*

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Freshly ground pepper

½ cup freshly grated Reggiano Parmesan

Shaved Reggiano Parmesan

1 lemon, quartered

Snap ends off tough ends of the asparagus, rinse well, pat dry and sprinkle liberally with olive oil.

Season well with freshly ground black pepper and sprinkle the parmesan cheese.

Divide asparagus into bundles of 2-3 stalks each.

Slice 6-8 slices of Jamón in half lengthwise, carefully wrap around the centre of the asparagus bundle, exposing the tips and dust with shaved parmesan cheese.

Place bundles on barbeque grill and grill until prosciutto is just cooked and asparagus is still crunchy.

Or heat oven to 375 degrees F, place the bundles into an oven-proof dish and roast 10 minutes.

Arrange on a platter, serve at room temperature with a lemon wedge.

Types of Cured Spanish Ham
There are basically two different types of cured hams in Spain, jamón serrano or “mountain ham,” and jamón ibérico or “Iberian ham.”

Jamón Serrano - There are almost 2,000 producers of Serrano ham in Spain. Eighteen of these producers formed the Consorcio de Jamón Serrano Español in 1990. The name Jamón Serrano is now controlled by the European Union since the year 2000 and it protects the processing of this product, although it does not apply to a specific region. Look for the label that has an "S" in the shape of a ham, and says SERRANO ESPAÑOL if you want to buy Jamón Serrano from the consortium. The mountain or Serrano ham is made from several different breeds of white pigs, such as Duroc, Landrace or Large White. They are fed mainly cereals and cured from 7 to 16 months.

Jamón Ibérico – This ham is made only from the Iberian pig. The breeding of the Iberian pig is restricted to an area in Southwestern Spain and Southeastern Portugal. Although fed some cereals, these pigs also roam countryside and feed on acorns. The curing process lasts from 14 to 36 months.

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Ingredients