Use ready-to-eat cured Spanish ham and a small amount of ricotta. Keep the slice at the centre of the bite: drained filling, a little chive and a simple fold, with no cooking or added salt.
Drain the ricotta, add chives and a little zest, then divide between eight rolls. Keep refrigerated and bring out only the batch you will serve.
Ingredients and timing for 4
For 4 appetisers, 8 bites: about 15 min preparation, no cooking; approximately 15 min total.
Approximate timings for this editorial recipe proposal, which has not been kitchen-tested. Adjust cooking to your ingredients and equipment.
- 80 g ready-to-eat sliced cured Spanish ham; about 8 broad slices or smaller slices to overlap
- 100 g chilled ricotta, drained
- 1 tsp finely chopped fresh chives
- Finely grated zest of half a washed lemon, yellow part only
Step-by-step method
- Wash hands and prepare a clean board, spoon and plate. Keep ricotta refrigerated until needed. Wash lemon and chives, then dry the chives.
- Drain visible liquid from ricotta. Mix with chives and start with a little lemon zest. Add no salt; taste a little filling with ham if you want to adjust the aroma.
- Make eight ham bases on the board. Overlap two small slices for a base when needed; use the planned weight and adapt the size without forcing the slices.
- Divide filling into eight small portions, placed near one end. Roll gently without squeezing hard enough to tear the ham. Set seam-side down.
- Cover in a clean container and refrigerate until serving according to ingredient directions. Serve two bites per person and bring out small batches.
Jamones Paco Heredia for this article
Current selection from the related collection. Check format, weight and directions on each product page.
Jamones Paco Heredia
Current selection from the related collection. Check format, weight and directions on each product page.
View the collection →Adapt the recipe to your kitchen
Roll opening up? Reduce filling and rest the seam on the plate. Water leaking? Drain ricotta more thoroughly; this version uses no lemon juice.
Ricotta contains milk. Check all ingredient allergens before preparing for other people.
These fresh-cheese bites need refrigeration even if the unopened ham has other conditions. Keep perishables out of refrigeration for no more than 2 h, or 1 h above 32 °C; discard food exceeding that limit. These are not recommended waiting times.
Chilling and food safety: FoodSafety.gov.
The selection follows the Jamones Paco Heredia catalogue. Editorial photographs illustrate formats; check the collection for current products and their details.
Choose your ham and plan your purchase
You need 80 g of ham for the four suggested portions. Compare 80 g sliced ham packs and check that the listing is for ham if following these ingredients. The carousel may also include shoulder.
Cebo Iberian ham and 100% Iberian bellota ham are different categories; the recipe does not require the most expensive one. Check the specific product's ingredients and storage instructions. For other formats, explore ham to buy.