On a recent Sunday, we had a lazy afternoon and evening, composed of cooking and watching episodes from the first season of The West Wing. Although it was pretty indulgent to spend many hours this way, I felt we earned it, as we had spent all of Saturday morning and part of the afternoon completing a work project. Plus, we spent a couple hours Sunday morning working on yard projects. I guess I don’t have to justify a lazy afternoon, but there’s something in my work ethic/time allocation mindset that makes me think I do.
Anyway, guilty conscience put to rest, we decided to make five small courses to enjoy together. I opted for the first, third, and fifth, so that I would get to make dessert. With four courses to follow the first, I wanted to start with something light. A cheese course is something we both appreciate, but I didn’t want to start with crackers or a large quantity of cheese.
What I decided to do was transform a meat from a part of a charcuterie plate to the base upon which I would serve the cheese. The capocolla added a nice amount of flavor and salt to the appetizer. However, it also made a greasy base for the snack, so having a handful of napkins nearby is essential.
If you don’t like cappocolla, you could use other meats, such as prosciutto or serrano ham. Just be sure that you choose a meat that is thinly cut and will crisp nicely with a little heat.
For another crispy charcuterie meat and cheese snack, try this prosciutto recipe.
- 12 slices capocolla
- 12 slices manchego
- 3 teaspoons fig jam
- Preheat oven to 400.
- Heat a large nonstick frying pan over medium heat.
- Place 4 slices of capocolla in pan and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until edges begin curling.
- Flip and cook second side until each slice is crispy.
- Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels.
- Blot both sides to remove excess grease.
- Repeat until all capocolla is cooked.
- Transfer capocolla to a small baking sheet.
- Top each piece of capocolla with a slice of manchego.
- Place baking trayino oven and bake for 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted.
- Top each appetizer with a 1/4 teaspoon of fig jam.
