| Versatile
Ingredients
Beyond the Antipasto Plate
While Parmigiano Reggiano and Prosciutto di Parma can be found
on most charcuterie and cheese boards, these two ingredients
go far beyond antipasto. Chefs are finding more and more uses
for these elite European items and they’re appearing
on menus in a large variety of dishes. In New York City, Chef
Patricia Yeo of Sapa serves seared scallops with
butterscotch and Prosciutto di Parma chips, for a sweet, salty,
savory dish of contrasts. Chef Shea Gallante at Cru
serves a duo of Hudson Valley foie gras with poached quince,
Parmigiano Reggiano crisps, black pepper-sherry gelée
and cauliflower in Armagnac sauce.
As anyone who has savored a succulent slice of Prosciutto
di Parma or a long-aged morsel of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
can testify, it’s all about the taste. In each case,
the source of excellence can be found in the zone of origin,
where the soil, flora, water, climate, local ingredients and
time-honored methods of production impart qualities that cannot
be duplicated elsewhere. This principle is expressed succinctly
in the French expression terroir.
The makers of Parmigiano Reggiano and Prosciutto di Parma
share a passion for tradition. Rather than rushing their products
to market, these artisans allow the superb cheese and air-cured
ham to age to peak maturity and flavor under their intensive
scrutiny.
It is no surprise that both products are members of an elite
group of foods given PDO (Protected Designation of Origin)
status by the European Union. The PDO system provides legally
binding name protection, certifying that the product has been
made following traditional methods in a defined geographical
region.
Parmigiano Reggiano
A European Masterpiece
The origins of all-natural Parmigiano Reggiano date back nine
centuries to a small area in northern Italy. The cheese is
made from unpasteurized cow’s milk—an astonishing
160 gallons for each 85-pound wheel. It is aged an average
of 24 months, developing layers of flavor and distinctive
texture. The character of the cheese reflects the season of
its birth: it is soft yellow with herbal notes in spring,
and redolent of exotic fruit and pineapple in winter. The
authenticity and quality of each wheel of Parmigiano Reggiano
can be confirmed by looking at the rind with its pin dot marking
showing the words Parmigiano Reggiano and an oval firebrand
certification mark.
Prosciutto di Parma
The World's Best-Known Ham
Prosciutto di Parma boasts only four ingredients: specially
raised Italian pigs, sea salt, air and time. No nitrites or
other additives are ever used. The pigs’ diet—a
special blend of cereals, grains and whey from Parmigiano
Reggiano production—contributes to the complex flavor
of the finished hams. Salting by hand is the first in a series
of curing steps to produce this all-natural product; the hams
are cured for an impressive minimum of four hundred days for
an inimitable taste and texture. Hams must pass rigorous inspection
before receiving the five-pointed Parma crown firebrand that
identifies them as genuine Prosciutto di Parma.
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