This Dry Cured Ham from Spain comes from its mountains hence it is called Serrano Ham. It is produced from a white variety of pigs unlike the Iberico Ham. Its production and label is protected by a Traditional Specialities Guaranteed, known as TSG.

The entire process start with cleaning and trimming the Ham before they are initially cured with Salt, that wonderful power of Sodium which avoid Food to spoil. How it works is rather simple: Salt draws out the moisture of the Meat and allows it to be kept for longer this is the principle of it. For Serrano Ham this process last for about two weeks.

Before the invention of refrigeration, Salt has been one of the main way to preserve Food. Its importance is reverberated in the word 'Salary' which originate from the word 'Salt' itself.

After those crucial couple of weeks the Ham is then washed from the Salt who did also do the job of killing many harmful bacterias when it was upon the Meat.

The next process is hanging the Serrano Ham for thorough drying of six monts at the very least. Following that the Ham is kept up to a year and a half in a place that is cool and dry. The minimum has to be six months. This drying and aging process give Serrano Ham its quality and maturity.

Compared to Iberico Ham the Serrano one is saltier but also cheaper. This is due to the conditions in which the pigs are kept, bred and fed. An Iberico pig will enjoy open pastures but it will be most certainly not be all the time the case for a pig producing Serrano Ham unfortunately. But with the labelling you can discern as a buyer or consumer. Genuine Serrano Ham can be traced down to the pig it came from due to strict regulations.

Serrano Ham regulations. 

Above is a link to a very nice website about Spanish Hams for you to discover. 

Then the question is what will you do with a Saltier Ham, what do you do with a Saltier Ham, what do you do with a Saltier Ham early in the morning?

Song, What do you do with a drunken sailor early in the Morning?

Just a little Musical link right above. The answer is you can do plenty of lovely Breakfasts with Serrano Ham. Take the humble scrambled Eggs for example which can be elevated with the addition of Smoked Salmon, Chives and Seasoning, well, just replace Smoked Salmon with Serrano Ham and you will see what you will get early in the morning... Way, Hay and up She rises! Way Hay and Up She Rises! Way Hay and Up She Rises, Early in the Morning...

For a lovely Brunch, you can use Serrano Ham instead of a French Ham in a French Toast and replace the Gruyére with Manchego Cheese and make it a Spanish Toast... Instead of Butter, spread the Bread with a Sundried Tomato paste. You will be pleasantly surprised by the result coming out from under the grill.

A little Sundried Tomato paste that will bring Sunshine to a dish.

From Brunch to Lunch how about a Spanish style Pizza made with a Flatbread from Catalonia called Coca? It can be covered by a Home made Tomato, Sweet Pepper and chopped Spanish Onion sauce up to five mm from the Flatbread edges (almost the size of a hand nail a real one not an extra long fake one). 

You can Roast the ingredients of this Tomato Sauce in the oven or Sautée them in a pan. Also you can keep it all chunky and rustic or you can blitz it to be velvety smooth: Your choice.

Then here come grated Manchego cheese over the sauce like a delish carpet that will become melting goodness. After that layer you can decorate your Spanish 'Coca' in a very savoury way, with Serrano Ham, thin slices of Chorizo or diced Chorizo (Dolce or Piquante upon your own Taste), sliced Padron Chilli Peppers, and halves of Black Olives. all you have to remember is that you only have the surface space of your flatbread to play with and to decorate but also that less is more.

Padron Chilli Peppers from our Garden. They are not too hot but you can always find the odd one that will make you dance the Tango of the Tongue.

I will say to finish off the Spanish Pizza a little chopped Fresh Oregano or dried one with a drizzle of Spanish Olive Oil will do then enjoy. 

Dried Oregano when you can't have the fresh one or grow it.

If you think of a four course dinner or using Serrano Ham in one part of a dinner, you absolutely can do so. There is a recipe from Rick Stein of Seared Scallops with Serrano Ham which is very lovely indeed and is a most excellent Starter. 

Rick Stein Recipe for the Serrano Ham and Scallops Starter.

Just click on the link above to get the recipe from his awesome book 'Fish and Shellfish' which I highly recommand for you to buy. 

Using Serrano Ham and Seared Scallop in a slightly different way, you can have a nice Starter using a Raddichio Leaf almost as a cup to harbour the seared Scallop. As for the Coral, Roe of the Scallop, you can rendered it further, and dry it enough to use it by gratting it above the dish at the last minute.

Scallops do make a nice partner ingredient to Serrano Ham. Their Sweetness balances or compliments the saltiness of the Ham.

You can nestle two Scallops inside the Raddichio Leaf. Cooked with a little Spanish Olive Oil but also a couple of Table Spoons of Sherry Vinegar and chopped Curly Parsley you can divide the scallops in their Salad leaf boat, as per say, two per person per Raddichio Leaf. Remove the Coral to cook it further later, place on the side, gather all the juices from the cooking pan in the meantime. Season to taste to create a dressing. Return the Coral to the pan. Shred or cut dainty pieces of Serrano Ham to put upon the Scallops within their Raddichio cups/boats. This is flavour as well as decoration. Pour the warm dressing within every Boat Leaf. Add some Lemon Zest then place a wedge of Lemon by each Raddichio leaf containting the Scallops. Then finish off with grated Coral Roe. If you present all the Leaves on a large oval dish I can tell you that it will make quite an entrance.

Now if you think of Serrano Ham for a Fish course there is another very good one to try and enjoy, Spanish of course or rather Basque, 'Trucha a la Navarra' from Javier De La Hormaza. Please click on the link below: 

Trucha a la Navarra, from Javier De La Hormaza

Those are Trouts filled/Stuffed with Serrano Ham served with an Almond Pesto. Almonds and Trouts are made to swim together in the Taste River that goes along to the rythm and path of a happy Mouth.

The Trout from Schubert played by Yury Revich

There would be a tiny change in my version of that dish. I would take the head off the fish. The fact is even if the white eyes of the Trout warn you that the Fish is cooked, I do find them unsettling on a plate to the point that I may not eat whatsoever. I prefer a completely deboned and filleted Fish, no head, no tail, no fins, no bones and no guts.

Home Made Pesto. Instead of Pine Nuts, Almonds makes a nice change.

So you can see that Serrano Ham can be used with great effect in many dishes. Now if we are looking for a main course, how about a lovely Chicken Breast remaining moist and tender under the snug hug of the wrapping of Serrano Ham...? It could be served with a side of purple curly Kale slighly braised with sliced Garlic and chopped Hazelnut.

Chopped Purple Curly Kale from the Garden. Kale makes a good side Vegetable.

But also Croquetas of Serrano Ham, Manchego Cheese and Potatoes, three per person, can render that main a very substantial meal. Another side that can't be side lined totally. They would look like a typical Potato Croquette but with the special 'Goodies' inside...

Potato Croquettes or Croquetas in Spanish are versatile, you can add other ingredients to Jazz them up.