Prosciutto And Melon Soup Recipes

PROSCIUTTO E MELONE (ITALIAN HAM AND MELON)

Steps:

• Remove the flesh from the rind of the cantaloupe; wrap each piece of cantaloupe with a slice of the ham. Serve cold.

MELON SOUP WITH PROSCIUTTO BREADSTICKS

Steps:

• In 2 batches in a food processor, puree the melon, mint, 2 1/2 tablespoons of the liqueur, lime juice and sugar. Taste for acidity, you may add more lime juice here if desired. Place in a pitcher or bowl and refrigerate until well chilled.
• In a bowl, toss the cantaloupe balls with the remaining 1/2 tablespoon liqueur and let macerate in the refrigerator.
• Cut each breadstick in half crosswise and wrap each piece with a slice of ham.
• To serve, ladle the soup into 4 shallow bowls. Swirl 1 1/2 teaspoons of the creme fraiche into the center of each serving and arrange a portion of cantaloupe decoratively in each bowl. Arrange 2 breadsticks on the rim of each bowl, and serve. Garnish with fresh mint springs.

PROSCIUTTO SOUP

Steps:

• Set 6 cups of water to boil to save time later. Put 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in the bottom of a medium saucepan, and turn the heat to medium. Chop the prosciutto (remove the fat if you must, but remember that it has flavor) into 1/4-inch or smaller cubes, and add to the oil. Brown, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, while you prepare the garlic, onion and greens.
• Peel the garlic, and chop it roughly or leave it whole. Peel and chop onion. Wash and chop greens into bite-size pieces.
• When the prosciutto is browned, add the garlic, and cook, stirring occasionally, until it begins to color, about 2 minutes. Add the onions, and cook, stirring occasionally, until they become translucent, 2 or 3 minutes. Add the greens, and stir; then, add the 6 cups of boiling water. Stir in the pasta and a good sprinkling of salt and pepper; adjust heat so the mixture simmers.
• When the pasta is done, taste, and add more salt and pepper if necessary. Drizzle with the remaining olive oil, and serve.

PROSCIUTTO WITH MELON

Steps:

• Seed 1/2 medium honeydew melon; slice into 12 half-inch thick pieces, and remove rind from each. Halve 6 slices prosciutto (about 3 ounces total) lengthwise. Wrap 1 slice around each melon piece.

PROSCIUTTO SOUP

Steps:

• Bring 6 cups of water to a boil in a pot or kettle. Put 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in the bottom of a saucepan and turn the heat to medium. Chop the prosciutto (remove the fat if you must, but remember that it has flavor) into 1/4-inch or smaller cubes and add to the oil. Brown, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, while you prepare the garlic, onion, and greens.
• Peel the garlic and chop it roughly or leave it whole. Peel and chop the onion. Wash and chop the greens into bite-sized pieces.
• When the prosciutto has browned, add the garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until it begins to color, about 2 minutes. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until it becomes translucent, 2 or 3 minutes. Add the greens and stir, then add the boiling water. (You can prepare the dish in advance up to this point. Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days, then reheat before proceeding.) Stir in the pasta and a good sprinkling of salt and pepper; adjust the heat so the mixture simmers.
• When the pasta is done, taste and adjust the seasoning. Drizzle with the remaining olive oil and serve.
• Variations
• The basic recipe, though delicious, is on the meager side, the kind of soup people make when times are hard or no one's been shopping lately: a small piece of meat, some common vegetables, a little pasta. But you can make it as elaborate as you like and even convert it to a stew by doubling the amount of meat, vegetables, and pasta. The chopping time will be extended slightly, but the cooking time will remain more or less the same.
• Add more root vegetables, like thinly sliced carrots or chopped celery, or diced potatoes or turnips.
• Vary the greens: Shredded cabbage is perfect for this soup and will cook as quickly as kale. Collard, mustard, and turnip greens are also appropriate. Some peas and/or corn will work nicely, too, even if they come from the freezer.
• Use any starch you like in place of the pasta: Rice and barley, each of which take a few minutes longer than pasta, are good choices.
• Add tomatoes, either fresh, canned, or paste, for color and flavor. To use tomato paste, just stir a couple of tablespoons into the sautéing vegetables before adding the water. Tomatoes should be added with the onions so they have time to break up.
• Leftovers are great, like a bit of chopped chicken or some vegetables from a previous meal (rinse them with boiling water if they were sauced).
• Consider the chopped-up rind of hard cheese, like Parmesan, which will not only soften enough to become edible during cooking but will add great flavor to the soup.

PROSCIUTTO AND MELON (PROSCIUTTO Y MELONI)

Steps:

• Wrap each melon wedge with proscuitto or place wedge on plate and drape with proscuitto slice.
• Enjoy!