Asparagi e prosciutto (asparagus wrapped in prosciutto)
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Asparagus wrapped in prosciutto is the perfect dish this time of year. Fat, juicy spears of asparagus wrapped in salty prosciutto and cooked to a crisp. If the weather is lovely, pop these on the grill to crisp them up. The smell will make everyone go wild. These cloaked spears are a perfect finger food for picnics, parties or daily treat. Asparagus are one of the very few foods, that even sticklers for excruciatingly correct behaviour cannot repudiate are acceptable to eat with your hands. Delicately pinch the blunt end of the asparagus stem between your fingers, tilt your head back and lower the stalk into your open mouth. Asparagus offer even the genteel, the primordial satisfaction of eating with your hands.
Author: Woo Wei-Duan
Recipe type: Starter (Antipasto)
Cuisine: Inter-regional
Serves: 4
Ingredients
- 250 grams asparagus, rinsed, woody ends snapped off and if the asparagus are thick, then peeled with a vegetable peeler
- 150 grams prosciutto
- black pepper, freshly ground
- traditional balsamic vinegar or balsamic glaze, a few drops (optional)
Instructions
- Bring salted water to boil in a pan large enough to accommodate the asparagus. Prepare a large bowl of ice water. Lower the spears into the boiling water and cook for 1 to 3 minutes, depending on the thickness of the stalks.
- Remove the asparagus from the water with a slotted spoon and drop into the ice water.
- When the asparagus are cold, remove them from the ice water with a slotted spoon and dry briefly on a tea towel. Break each slice of prosciutto in half lengthwise and roll each half around an asparagus stalk. Place on a baking tray and repeat with the remaining asparagus and prosciutto until all the ingredients are used up.
- Either place on the barbecue or under a hot grill, turning three times, every 3 to 5 minutes as the prosciutto crisps up. Remove to a tray and grind fresh black pepper over top and drizzle with a bit of balsamic vinegar.
