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Lamb Prosciutto with Dandelion, Figs, and Pecorino
Pressuttu de Verveche kin Icu
I love the way the figs, dandelion, abbamele, and lamb prosciutto combine with the pecorino in this salad. Wait, did I say lamb prosciutto? Absolutely. Sardinian prosciutto is historically made from the leg of a pig or wild boar. Until recently, to make prosciutto out of anything else would draw incredulous stares from older Sardinians. Why go through all that work curing such a small leg? The next generation has mastered the traditional methods and understands that the same flavors of our land that make our prosciutto taste so good can be applied to different meats to create new Sardinian delicacies. Now the bad news: it is illegal to bring this and most prosciutto into the United States. The good news is many companies and farm stands in America now sell prosciutto made from duck and other game. Feel free to substitute one of these in the recipe.
Serves 4
1 pound lamb prosciutto (or duck magre prosciutto or other wild game prosciutto), thinly shaved
1/2 pound red dandelion leaves (or chicory), chopped coarsely
4 figs, quartered
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 cup Sardo Pecorino cheese (or other pecorino cheese), thinly shaved
2 tablespoons abbamele
Lay shaved prosciutto on platter.
In a small bowl, toss dandelion leaves and figs with 1/2 cup of olive oil. Mound on top of the prosciutto.
Top with pecorino shavings. Drizzle with remaining olive oil and abbamele.
Abbamele: Honey and Pollen Reduction
Chie manizat mele, sos poddighes si linghez
"He who touches honey will lick his fingers."
Sardinians are expert honey makers and with bees thriving in our mild climate, the size and range of production, not to mention consumption, are almost unrivaled. We use honey to flavor all our signature desserts and also to flavor savory dishes. You'll find a jar of miele millefiori (thousand flower honey) in every home. Other common honey flavors include eucalyptus, chestnut, and the asfodelo, acacia, and cardo flowers.
However, two of our honeys have a flavor unlike any in the world and are among the most ancient products of Sardinian gastronomy: miele amaro (or bitter honey) and abbamele (in Sardo, abbathu—a honey and pollen reduction).
To make abbamele, honeycombs are pressed to extract all the honey and pollen together. The liquid is then reduced in copper pots until a thick, tawny semi-sweet honey is produced. The result is perfect on salads, ice cream, cheese, or fresh fruit.
This recipe may be reproduced with the following credit:
Recipe from SWEET MYRTLE & BITTER HONEY: The Mediterranean Flavors of Sardinia by Efisio Farris with Jim Eber
(Rizzoli; October 2007; $39.95/hardcover)
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