There are sometimes where a friend pays you an unexpected visit. Then the visit turns into having a few glasses of wine and, before you know it, it’s dinner time but you don’t have anything prepped. Well, that’s when one of these mini cured hams comes into its own to quickly make a tapas of delicious Spanish ham.
That’s exactly what happened to me on Saturday evening when my friend Alex came over for some cheering up after splitting with his other half. Before I realised it was after 10 pm and I had to come up with something to eat that didn’t require me spending 3 hours in the kitchen!
Luckily for me I had bought this mini cured ham a few weeks ago at the airport (you can find online it here). It also makes the perfect gift for your foodie friends!
I ALWAYS have some bread in the freezer just in case, as it’s very filling and I can bake it in the oven and quickly make a few tapas of something to save the day.
So I cut some bread, sliced some ham and prepared a board with all the cheeses that I could find in my fridge. Then I opened a bottle of wine and…Voilà! I had improvised a cool and stylish dinner in no time!
Tapas of Spanish HamSlice some rustic bread
But who would have a whole big leg of ham at home? (although my mate Lewis does). They are not cheap and you have to buy a proper ham holder separately. Just too much of a hassle for a one-off. Fortunately, now you can find the lil’ version thanks to the these cute 1 Kg mini cured ham kits, which include the cured ham, and the ham holder for less than 35 quid – great value considering that once you open it, you can keep it in its holder for weeks and cut a few slices whenever you want.
Mini cured ham, ham holder and ham knife
If you get yourself one of these, then all you have to do is set up the holder as per the instructions on the box, which takes no more than a couple of minutes. Then place the ham into the holder and screw the screw into the meat to hold it in place.
Ham after it has been sliced
To start cutting the ham you need a large thin knife – if you don’t have one, there are some affordable options starting from less than a tenner (you can find them here). It’s very important though that the knife is very sharp, otherwise the cuts won’t be clean and the ham will get indents when it should be smooth.
Always cut the ham from top to bottom away from you, holding the ham firmly from the top, so you protect your hands.
Slice the knife from side to side very smoothly to get square bits of ham and place them nicely on a flat plate.
TIP: Put the plate on its own in the microwave for 30 seconds or the oven for a few minutes to heat it up, before you put the ham on it. This way, the ham releases its oils and aroma, giving it a shinny sheen that will really impress your friends.
