Crispy Ham with Melon Appetizers

We all know the Italian classic appetizer of melon or cantaloup enveloped in a Prosciutto ham. Still, this Ham with Melon version has the same taste but with an extra fun, crunchy texture and smaller size. The ham is rapidly cooked for 5 minutes in the oven to release some water and make it in the desired form, giving it this fun twist. This version is more of a finger food or hors d’oeuvre style, making it a delightful bite for New Year parties next to a bubbly drink.

Type of Cured Ham

Most people know the famous Prosciutto di Parma ham from Italy, but there are a zillion types of cured hams! For example, Spain has three main types: Serrano (white pork), Iberic (black pig), and the famous Iberic de Bellota (black pork that eats acorns, which has a nuttier taste. In France, they have the ‘Jambon de Bayonne,’ or the Schwarzwälder Schinken in Germany, although this one is slightly smoked.

All this to say, so many variations exist today; some surprisingly lovely product from a local producer would always be my first bet! For this particular recipe, I’ve already used a simple Serrano type, cut into squares, which was perfect for making the bowls. If you have the usual long slices, cut them in half.

Festive Bite

To make it a festive finger bite, I’ve used a star shape cookie cutter to make lovely cantaloup pieces; add a little green crunch in the center, which could be any microgreens or sprouts and juicy pomegranate arils. The appetizers are held up with a fun decorative wooden stick.