HOME & LIVING
B2 — THE OBSERVER & BAKER CITY HERALD
PROSCIUTTO
Continued from Page B1
Waiting is the hardest
part
After hanging my ham
from a water pipe in a corner
of my basement, with the
fl y trap nearby and a dig-
ital hydrometer measuring
humidity, I waited. By June,
the mold made its appear-
ance, and looked so gross
that I sent Masciantonio an
email asking him what to do.
“Absolutely nothing,” he
replied. “Mold is expected
and welcome.”
In July, when temps hit
above 90 for days on end,
more than a few classmates
sent similar emails. More
reassuring words from the
master.
“With the weather being
humid, and not a lot of
scorching hot days yet, it is
perfect conditions for mold
to develop,” he replied. “This
is perfectly normal. Mold
actually helps enhance the
fl avor, so just let it ride.”
By mid-August, when
the mold on my ham turned
from white to a gross shade
of green with tinges of black,
I had my doubts. I was so
concerned that I emailed a
picture of the ham to Justin
Severino of Salty Pork Bits
for advice.
“That’s not looking
good,” he replied. “At this
point all you can really do is
wait until its estimated fi nish
date and cut into it.”
On the other hand, the
ham still smelled sweet and
peppery, even if I couldn’t
bring myself to touch it. So
I fi gured, what the heck. It’s
a good story either way; let’s
see what happens at our fi nal
class in November.
In September, a group
email advised us to rub some
Crisco or lard under the ridge
to stop air from over-drying
the meat, with a post-script:
“See everyone the Sunday
prior to Thanksgiving.”
A surprise ending
When I entered the club
on Nov. 21, a few over-
achievers were already
carving their prosciuttos,
confi dent the meat under
the skin was a rosy and deli-
cious pink. I had similar high
hopes.
The day before, I’d
scrubbed the moldy funk and
pepper off the outside of the
ham with a wire brush, then
soaked it in a tub of water
for 24 hours to rehydrate
the skin, making it easier to
remove in class. It went from
looking like something you’d
fi nd in the trash to something
very possibly edible.
But fi rst, I had to use a
boning knife to remove a lot
of that tough outer skin while
leaving a layer of fat, along
with the shin of the ham and
the femur.
This time it was Frank
Cafardi of Green Tree
who came to my rescue,
showing how to negotiate
the hip joint with the knife
and get the femur out by
following the curve.
Greasy hands and a
sharp knife are a bad
combo, of course, and I
ended up nicking my palm
with the point. It was also
harder than I thought to
slice the meat; you have to
really lean into it.
TUESDAY, JANUARY 18, 2022
But lo and behold, when
the fi rst slices of my pro-
sciutto fi nally fell away from
the knife, it was perfectly
pink and utterly delicious.
“Gold,” as Masciantonio
might say.
Since prosciutto only lasts
a few days in the fridge after
being sliced, mine went in
the freezer when I got home.
It awaits a time when Cafardi
— who also makes the wine
handed out at Pennsylvania
Macaroni during the holi-
days — can slice it for me on
a commercial meat slicer.
In this world of instant
gratifi cation, it might seem
hard to put up with a full
nine months of uncertainty,
worrying about fl ies and
mice and rot. But that sense
of accomplishment when I
fi rst tasted the smooth, but-
tery fl avor of my homemade
prosciutto? Defi nitely worth
the wait!
CRISPY
PROSCIUTTO
CUPS WITH
GOAT CHEESE
MOUSSE
Prosciutto works in so many
dishes — wrapped around melon
slices, tucked between bread with
cheese, as a topping with arugula
on pizza, folded into pasta. As this
elegant recipe demonstrates, it
also makes for a quick and easy
appetizer when baked to a crisp
in a muffi n tin and fi lled with
a creamy goat cheese mouse.
Perfectly sized for noshing, just
shape, bake and fi ll.
6 slices Prosciutto di Parma
3 1/2 ounces plain goat cheese,
room temperature
1 tablespoon milk
1 tablespoon minced chives
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Cut prosciutto slices in half
crosswise. Press each half slice
into each cup of a mini-muffi n
pan. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until
prosciutto cups are crispy.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl
combine goat cheese with milk
and chopped chives until creamy.
Remove prosciutto cups from
oven and let cool. Pipe or spoon
about 1 tablespoon of the goat
cheese mousse into cooled cups.
Makes 12 appetizers.
— Parmacrown.com
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TUESDAY, JANUARY 18, 2022
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DO YOU HAVE....HURTS,
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12 Step Biblical Support
Harvest Church
3720 Birch St. Baker City
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