Cooking School Director, Tony De Luca,
De Luca’s
For this simple, but tasty dish, Director Tony uses Italian prosciutto that has been aged at least two years. The prosciutto should be sliced thicker than in pre-packaged varieties to prevent the tearing of the meat when wrapping. The first note is aromatic, the scent of roasted meat. The first bite gives a contrast of textures and flavours: the firm, crispness of the asparagus, the buttery softness of the prosciutto and the stringy saltiness of the cheeses. The dish gains momentum as the heat from the chile flakes becomes evident.
Ingredients
24 asparagus spears
40-50g prosciutto, sliced
4 Tbsp part skim mozzarella, shredded
4 Tbsp parmesan, grated
Chile flakes
8 butter lettuce leaves
Method
1. Cut asparagus tips in 3″ pieces.
2. Blanch asparagus in boiling water for 3 minutes.
3. Immediately transfer to a bowl of cold water. Drain and pat dry.
4. Cut prosciutto in 1/2″ strips lengthwise.
5. Wrap asparagus tips tightly with prosciutto.
6. Set oven to broil.
7. Arrange asparagus on a baking sheet and sprinkle with mozzarella.
8. Broil asparagus in oven about one minute, until cheese is just melted.
9. Immediately sprinkle with parmesan and chile flakes.
10. Arrange 3 asparagus pieces on a bed of lettuce.
Yield 8 servings