Gino prepared this wonderful recipe to honour the Italian Job charity event which we describe here.
Figs and Soft Cheese Rolled in Parma Ham
Gino d'Acampo
This is a gorgeous antipasto that needs very little effort to prepare, yet looks and tastes fantastic. It was one of the first recipes I wrote as a chef, because I thought that the saltiness of the ham would go beautifully with the sweetness of the figs. The key to this dish is to prepare it just before you want to serve, otherwise the ham will go soggy. If you can’t find fresh figs, use dark plums or mangoes instead.
© Kate Whitaker. Extracted from Fantastico! by Gino D'Acampo (published by Kyle Cathie Ltd, £14.99).
Serves 4
6 large plum tomatoes
Extra virgin olive oil
6 large very ripe figs
200g soft cheese
5 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives
12 slices of Parma ham
4 tablespoons runny honey
Salt and pepper
Preheat the grill. Cut the tomatoes in half and place on a baking tray, skin-side down. Season with salt and pepper, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and grill for about 10 minutes until softened. Leave to cool.
Meanwhile, cut the figs in half, discarding the skin.
Mix the soft cheese with the chives and 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
Lay a slice of ham lengthways on a chopping board. Place a fig half on one end. Drop a teaspoon of the soft cheese mixture on top of the fig, then place a tomato half on top of the cheese. Carefully roll up the ham to enclose the fig, cheese and tomato. Repeat with the remaining ingredients to make 12 parcels.
To serve, allow three parcels per portion. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and honey and enjoy with some toasted bread soldiers.
Extracted from Fantastico! by Gino D'Acampo (published by Kyle Cathie Ltd, £14.99)
