Artichokes with Cured Ham and Vegetables

We’re going to cook a very easy tapa recipe with a good content of vegetables, which contrast with the ham. This dish you can serve as a starter or tapa, and get to surprise your guests, as it is not very usual recipe.

ARTICHOKES WITH CURED HAM AND VEGETABLES

Photo www.elmundoiberico.com

Ingredients:

• 1 kg artichoke
• 4 slices ofHam from Teruel PDO Antonio Mata
• 1 onion
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 2 carrots
• Mushrooms
• ExtraVirgin Olive Oil
• Salt
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1 lemon

Preparation:

The first thing is to clean the artichokes: remove the leaves and cut the stem, so that we have left only the heart of the artichoke. Boil for about 15 minutes in water with some salt and a splash of lemon (it’s important they take this lemon flavour). When it’s ready, drain and reserve.

Chop an onion, garlic, carrots and mushrooms (in quite small dices). Put everything in a pan with olive oil and fry. Cut the cured ham slices into smaller pieces, or strips, and add to the pan (do not wait more than a minute, the ham is fried very fast). Add the artichoke hearts, half a glass of white wine and half water. We let him do a little and when hearts are slightly golden, is that you're all set.

To serve, put the artichoke hearts and make a little hole in the middle. Fill with vegetables and cured ham. We can add the liquid or sauce remaining in the pan, this will have much flavour.

Recipe based on http://www.elmundoiberico.com/content/7-recetas-con-jamon-iberico-entrantes-primeros-platos-tapas#Canapes1

Tile of Cream Patamulo Cheese with Crispy Ham from Teruel

Today we will make a recipe using two of the most typical products of Aragon, specifically in the province of Teruel. Patamulo Cheese from Bajo Aragon has its heart in places like the small village of Samper de Calanda. It has a nice texture, and very distinguished tastes that is easily identified. Made by the traditional way, its curing process is from 2 to 4 months. And the Ham fromTeruel PDO is definitely the star of the products of the province, and a pride for all Aragonese and Spanish. Followers of this blog and Antonio Mata perfectly know the virtues of this excellent cured ham. Let's see how to prepare an appetizer that is a perfect combination of cheese and ham:

TILE OF CREAM PATAMULO CHEESE WITH CRISPY HAM FROM TERUEL

Photo www.elmundoiberico.com

Ingredientes:

• Ham from Teruel PDO by Antonio Mata
• 250 grams Patamulo Cheese
• Pedro Ximénez Reduction
• 2 egg whites
• 20 gr. sifted flour
• 20 gr. butter cream point
• Milk
• Cream
• Butter
• 1 pinch of salt
• Black pepper

Preparation:

To make the cream cheese Patamulo, heat it over high heat 150 ml of milk and 150 ml of cream and butter. Season with salt and black pepper. When very hot add the cheese Patamulo (previously diced) and we will remove constantly until melted. Tip, if it is too runny, let's take a little cornstarch to thicken.

To make the tiles: Preheat oven to 180 º C. Whisk the egg whites until stiff and mix hard with butter and flour until a smooth dough. Put baking paper on a tray and make mounds with the dough. They should be round and we have to crush them flat. We'll leave in the oven for about 10 minutes until golden and then remove and let cool. Meanwhile, in another pan put 3 slices of Ham from Teruel PDO by AntonioMata. We'll leave them until the texture is crunchy. Surely the ham will take longer than the tiles.

Once made the ham, chop it and mix well with the cream cheese Patamulo. To serve, we will make a ball of cream cheese and ham on each tile and add a little ham over each ball. We can add a dash of Pedro Ximénez reduction.

And that's it. This is a dish that you shall be as great chefs before your guests but not a very complicated processing. We hope you feel encouraged to try at home.

See you next Friday with more recipes and tapas!

Recipe from http://www.elmundoiberico.com/content/7-recetas-con-jamon-iberico-entrantes-primeros-platos-tapas#Canapes1

Spanish Cured Ham tapa recipe by Angela Torres: 'Teruel Sensation of Antonio Mata'

As we announced a few weeks ago, Angela Torres, one of the promises of Spanish cuisine, has participed in the Cured Ham from Teruel Tapas Contest, organized by the Control Board of Ham from Teruel (our region). Today we present the recipe of the cover made ​​with Cured Ham from Teruel by Antonio Mata (our delicious cured ham).

Angela Torres is considered a rising young star of Spanish cuisine and has a weakness for our Spanish Cured Ham Antonio Mata. Se has won some tapas contest before, and worked on several important restaurants in Spain. Now she has her own restaurant in Teruel, one of the most prominent gastronomic cities in our country. In the restaurant, she offers cutting-edge cuisine, with typical products, at a very reasonable price.

We’re lucky! She explains her tapa recipe for us:

TAPA RECIPE: TERUEL SENSATION OF ANTONIO MATA

Ingredients:

• Whole peeled tomatoes
• Sugar
• Cream cheese
• Cured Hamfrom Teruel PDO by Antonio Mata
• Puff pastry dough
• Sunflower oil
• Balsamic vinegar

Preparation:

Tomato confit: drain the tomatoes and put 3 kg of tomatoes with 1 kg of sugar, leave over low heat until it becomes jam, then let it stand and cool to start doing the cover.

In the center of the plate put some tomato. Place the cream cheese wrapped with CuredHam from Teruel PDO by Antonio Mata. All has to be wrapped with round shaped pastry. Fry it in sunflower oil, not olive, to not remove the taste. Brown on all sides (put on a plate with paper to drain).

Cut into chunks the Cured Ham from Teruel PDO by Antonio Mata. We will put in the fryer in very hot oil, and leave it to cool to stay crispy.

Put the ball of pastry already fried. Above all a little cream cheese, that will make the crispy ham sticking up. We will make a circle with balsamic as decoration, and the puff ball in the center.

This tapa is very important to do at that moment to have fresh feelings of all its products. We will have everything ready: the jam, the pastry, crispy ham made​... You just have to complete the assembly.

We hope that you dare to do it at home, because it's really delicious. And if you don’t dare to do it yourself, you know, can visit the Angela Torres restaurant in Teruel and enjoy all her tapas recipes.