Parmigiano Reggiano ‘sandwich’ with whipped ricotta and prosciutto

Oven-baked cheese crisps are layered with whipped ricotta and prosciutto di Parma for these ‘sandwiches’.

Parmigiano Reggiano ‘sandwich’ with whipped ricotta and prosciutto. Credit: Luca's Key Ingredient

• serves

  4

• prep

  20 minutes

• cook

  10 minutes

• difficulty

  Mid

Ingredients

• 150 g 18 month Parmigiano Reggiano, grated finely
• 250 g ricotta
• 80 g prosciutto di Parma, thinly chopped
• 20 ml extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and cracked black pepper
• 50 g toasted almonds, skin on, roughly chopped
• Fresh herbs to garnish, optional

Instructions

1. To make the Parmigiano Reggiano crisps for the sandwich, preheat the oven to 180°C. Place a silicone non-stick baking mat an oven tray. Then divide the grated Parmigiano into eight 6 cm round disks on the tray. (You can use a scone cutter ring to achieve each disc shape; remove before baking). Cook for 8-10 minutes until golden in colour. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
2. In a mixer add ricotta and beat with oil until smooth, then add a little pinch of salt and cracked black pepper and mix in. (If you don’t have a mixed, you can do this by hand.) Move this mixture into a piping bag.
3. Pipe the mix onto half of the Parmigiano crisps/crackers, add the prosciutto di Parma, then pipe another layer of ricotta mixture. Place the other Parmigiano crisps on top (like a sandwich), then gently roll the edges onto chopped almonds, to coat.
4. Serve with a few fresh herbs to garnish and a cold beer.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.