Croutons with asparagus and ham are appetizing finger food that is very easy to make. They are perfect for a dinner party, buffets, or as a tasty snack to accompany pizza. With just a few ingredients and in a short time, we can create an unusual and tasty appetizer. I recommend using day-old bread, not just to recycle it, but especially for its drier and firmer crumb. Additionally, using gluten-free bread will make this snack suitable for those with specific dietary needs.
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 10
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Spring
Ingredients
- 9 oz asparagus
- 10 slices bread (also gluten-free)
- 7 oz cooked ham
- 5 oz smoked provola cheese (or mozzarella or other melting cheese)
Steps
Clean the asparagus, removing the hard and woody parts of the stems.
Bring water to a boil and plunge the asparagus in, letting them blanch for 5 minutes (or less if it’s wild asparagus) and let them cool for a few minutes before cutting into not too small pieces.
Meanwhile, cut the melting cheese you’ve chosen and the cooked ham into cubes or strips.
Heat a cast-iron grill and cut 10 slices of bread about a finger thick, or a little more, weighing about 1.75 oz each.
When the grill is very hot, place the bread slices on it and let them toast on both sides.
When the bread slices are toasted and very hot, add the cheese cubes, which will become soft thanks to the heat (we can also put the bread slices back on the turned-off grill to keep them warm and melt the cheese better).
Transfer the croutons onto a serving dish, immediately add the cooked ham and asparagus, and serve them right away.
If it’s more convenient, we can also toast the bread in the oven, like this:
– turn on the oven and set it to the maximum temperature.
– cover a baking sheet with parchment paper, place the bread slices on it, and decorate them with cheese cubes and asparagus pieces. Bake the croutons for 2/3 minutes, in the already hot oven, at medium height.
After taking them out of the oven, add the cooked ham and serve them.
An extra idea.
The asparagus can also be cooked in a pan, without being blanched first, for an even more tantalizing result. Heat a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil in a pan, add the asparagus cut into not too small pieces, and let them brown for a minute over high heat, stirring often. Splash them with a tablespoon of dry white wine, let the alcohol part evaporate, season with salt, and let them cook covered, over low heat on the smallest burner, until tender (about 7-9 minutes).
Bon appetit
