bel paese cheese

Judi's Bistro- Asparagus in Proscuitto

14 May 2010
Asparagus in Proscuitto

I am still cooking from my mother’s recipe collection. It started as a Mother’s Day Tribute to my own mother who passed away in 1993. It was a way to say Thank You for the love of food and cooking that she instilled in all three of her children. She might not have planned it this way, but her enthusiasm for cooking and entertaining turned out to be contagious. But it’s funny because I never really knew I had been infected with the cooking bug until after my mother passed away.  She died young and I was still finding my own adult direction in this world, so she’ll never really know the great gift she gave to me.

And this next recipe really is a gift too. A great gift in fact. Of all her recipes that I have brought to you this is my favorite. It’s the one closest to a recipe I would have written myself. And despite all the childhood favorites and comfort foods I have paraded across this blog in the past week, this is the recipe that most closely aligns with my adult tastes and sensibilities. I am so glad I started this project because this recipe is bound to become a dinner party staple at my house. It's everything I like in food. Great texture, bold flavors, and enough lusciousness to hold it all together.

Sippity Sup Continues »
Tags: | 10 Comments

Asparagus in Prosciutto

Asparagus in Prosciutto
By jgreghenry Published May 12, 2010
Prep time: 45
Yield:1 ()

Ingredients:

  • 24 asparagus spears, thin to medium thickness
  • 2 c chicken stock
  • 4 pieces bel paese cheese cut into 1/4" batons about 2" long. fontina is a good substitute
  • 4 l proscuitto
  • 4 dabs butter
  • 0.5 c white wine
  • 0 coarse salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 T parmesan cheese, grated

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Trim the woody ends off the asparagus. There is no need to peel them unless they are quite thick. Heat a saucepan over medium-high heat add chicken stock bringing it to a simmer. Then add the asparagus spears in as close to a single layer as possible. Work in batches if necessary. Poach the asparagus until barely cooked (even a little undercooked). About 3 minutes. Transfer them to a clean work surface to cool, again in as close to one layer as possible. While they cool reduce the asparagus scented chicken broth to about 1 cup. Turn off the heat and set it aside. Collect 6 stalks asparagus in a neat bundle. Push one baton of bel paese cheese into the center of that bundle. Wrap 1 piece of proscuitto around each bundle as tightly as possible with out breaking the proscuitto. Set the bundle into a baking dish, seam side down. Repeat with remaining asparagus and bel paese cheese. Place a dab of butter on the tips of the asparagus of each bundle. Add white wine and enough of the remaining asparagus scented chicken broth to fill the bottom of the baking dish by about 1/2-inch. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle the Parmesan cheese on top. Move the dish to the preheated oven and roast until browned with a few crispy edges. About 25 minutes. Serve in bowls with plenty of the delicious broth and crusty bread as a first course, or alternatively as a side dish with a drizzle of the broth.

Notes:

serves 4 It's not necessary, but if you strain the broth before serving you will have a more elegant presentation. Source: Judi Bond Henry- My mom!