We have this amazing smallgoods producer in South Australia called Standom, who make all kinds of smoked and preserved meat products.
How good are they? Well, put it this way: my Bavarian-born, Hamburg-dwelling mother in law thought Standom’s products were better than what she could find in Germany.
So the other day when Mr Hungry Australian came home from Standom with some delicious bauernschinken (similar to prosciutto, but smoked and mildly seasoned) I decided it would be perfect for a pre-dinner appetizer.
This really couldn’t be simpler. You simply steam the asparagus for a few minutes (I like them slightly underdone so they remain firm), then let them cool, wrap them in Bauernschinken, grate over Parmesan and black pepper, and spritz with lemon.
And that’s it.
How tasty is this dish? Well, let’s just say that I shot these photographs in our lounge room and then went off to do something in the kitchen for a few minutes. When I returned, our five year old had eaten half the plate.
“They’re just so yummy, mummy,” she rhapsodised.
Her grandmother would be proud.
INGREDIENTS
1 bunch asparagus, trimmed of woody ends (bend gently until the stalk snaps and then tidy up with a knife)
Appropriate number of slices of bauernschinken or prosciutto
Fresh Parmesan
Black pepper
1/4 fresh lemon
METHOD
Steam asparagus for approximately 4-6 minutes until just cooked. Let cool.
Wrap in bauernschinken and place on a serving plate.
Grate over Parmesan and black pepper and spritz with lemon.
Do not leave anywhere near small children.
