Served on a bed of mixed salad leaves, this unusual combination makes a lovely appetiser or very light lunch. Use a good, fruity extra virgin olive oil as its particular flavour really makes the dish sing.
ingredients
serves: 4
1 lime or lemon
4 small dessert pears
Salt and black pepper
1 cup mixed salad leaves
12 thin slices Parma ham, about 8 ounce in total
2/3 cup piece Parmesan cheese
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
method
1. Squeeze the lime or lemon and pour the juice into a mixing bowl. Rinse, dry, quarter and core the pears. Cut each piece lengthways into three or four slices, add them to the juice, season lightly with black pepper and toss them gently
2. Trim the salad leaves, then rinse and dry them if necessary Tear any large leaves into pieces, then pile them loosely on four plates. Arrange the slices of marinated pear on top of the salad leaves, then weave the slices of Parma ham around the pears. Add salt to taste.
3. Using a potato peeler, shave wafer-thin curls of Parmesan cheese directly over the salad. Drizzle the extra virgin olive oil over the salad and serve at once
more information
When you are shaving thin strips of Parmesan, you will need to buy a larger piece of cheese than you will actually use to give you a good grip.
