Last week, I took a course at Atelier des Chefs on the theme of Parma ham and Parmigiano Reggiano Parmesan. It was the opportunity to rediscover two prestigious local products from Italy that I love, which can be serves raw or cooked. I often use the grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese on a meat or tomato sauce and I often use the Parma ham on plates of cold cuts and salads, but I really enjoyed brewing them to add flavor to a cream or broth. When you choose these products check the logos of AOP (controlled designation of origin) which certifies the origin and especially the quality and unique taste of these two jewels of the Northern Italy cuisine. The result in images and the recipe…

Chicken broth brewed with Parma ham, minestrone of vegetables and Parmigiano Reggiano cream

Recipe by l'Atelier des chefs

Prep: 30mins
Cooking: 1hr

Serves 6 people

Broth:
- 1l chicken broth (can be prepared with stock cube)
- 3 slices of Parma ham

Filling:
- 4 slices of Parma ham
- 2 spring onions (big chives)
- 2 carrots
- 1 zucchini
- 100g celeriac
- 5cl olive oil
- 1 garlic clove
- 2 pinches of salt
- 6 turns of the pepper mill

Parmesan cream:
- 60g Parmigiano Reggiano parmesan
- 30cl single cream
- 2 pinches of salt
- 3 turns of the pepper mill

Preparation of Parma broth : Pour a liter of chicken broth in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Chop the Parma ham coarsely . Add ham to the broth and slightly reduce heat to medium . Adjust seasoning and refrigerate.

Preparation of minestrone: Remove the skin of the celery. Peel the carrots and onion. Chop the onions, then chop the spring onions. Cut all vegetables into very small dice. Cut very thin slices of Parma ham.

In a hot pan with a drizzle of olive oil, sweat the onions with the garlic and salt. Add respectively the celery and carrots, sweat over low heat for 2 to 3 min. Then add water up to 1 cm above the vegetables and boil for 2 to 3 min. Add the zucchini and cook 3 min, then season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper. Add the shredded ham and refrigerate.

Preparation of parmesan cream: Grate the parmesan. Pour the cream into a saucepan and allow it to reduce by half. Add the Parmesan and season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Whip the cream with mixer to obtain a smooth texture.

Arrangement: Arrange the vegetables in a minestrone soup plate, pour the broth on top and add the parmesan cream.

Cannelloni with spinach, Parma ham and pine nuts, Parmesan mushroom bechamel

Recipe by l'Atelier des chefs

Prep: 20mins
Cooking: 50mins

Serves 6 people

Parmesan béchamel:
- 80g unsalted butter
- 80g wheat flour
- 1 semi-skimmed milk
- 50g Parmigiano Reggiano parmesan
- 50g oyster mushroom
- 5cl olive oil
- 6 pinches of salt
- 6 turns of the pepper mill

Cannelloni & farce:
- 18 cannelloni (without pre-cooking)
- 1kg branch spinach
- 250g ricotta
- 3 garlic cloves
- 100 g gratted Parmigiano Reggiano
- 20g pine nuts
- 4 slices of Parma ham
- 3 pinches of salt
- 6 turns of the pepper mill

Preparing the béchamel with parmesan: Clean the mushrooms, then shred them finely. In a frying pan, sweat the mushrooms with a dash of olive oil. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper.

Realizing the roux in a saucepan : Add the butter to melt, then add flour and stir with a spatula. Cook over low heat for a few minutes, make sure it doesn't start to colour. Still over medium heat, gradually pour the cold milk and stir with a whisk regularly. Boil for 5 min. Then season the béchamel with salt and freshly ground pepper. Add the mushrooms and Parmesan and adjust the seasoning.

Preparing the cannelloni and stuffing : Wash the spinach and peel the cloves of garlic, then chop them all. Cut the ham into "brunoise" (very small dices). Roast the pine nuts. In a saucepan, Melt the spinach and garlic, covered, for 10 min. Add the ricotta, pine nuts and prosciutto. Season everything with salt and freshly ground pepper. Fill the cannelloni with the mixture using a pastry bag.

Preheat oven to 190 °C. Grate the parmesan. Pour 1/3 the bechamel in the bottom of a baking dish, then place the cannelloni. Then cover the rest with the bechamel sauce and sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese. Cover the dish with aluminum foil to prevent the pasta from drying.

Bake for 40 min. Remove the paper after 30 min so that the top turns golden.