Thyme Fig, Gorgonzola + Parma Ham Shards Crostini

These little mouthfuls of deliciousness were also made for the Macmillan shoot the weekend before last. Each little crostini is spread generously with gorgonzola, topped with a beautiful, thyme-infused fig, crowned with a crispy parma ham shard, and finished off with a sprinkle of thyme leaves and a drizzle of olive oil. Sound perfect? They are!

Fortunately, I had made surplus that hadn’t been able to fit on the board, so we managed to devour a few before they were carried off for filming and with that, the end of their delectable lives. Sadly, in the film world, as I discovered, food is present for beautiful imagery, not for actual edible treats. This, I found, was torture! Fortunately, there was a very lovely lady present who cooked up huge batches of warming curries, raitas and dips to satisfy our hunger.

These crostini remind me of long, summer days, where they only food I buy consists of cheese, bread, charcuterie and plentiful salads. This is, in my mind, is ‘perfect food.’ The figs infused in thyme are simply melt-in-the-mouth; the creamy gorgonzola is full-bodied and strong, and the salty parma ham shards satisfyingly crisp. The olive oil brushed crostini, slightly, charred, give the perfect platform for this smorgasbord of punchy flavours. Present these at a summer garden party or picnic, alongside a good bottle of red, and you are guaranteed to win friends for life!

Thyme Fig, Gorgonzola + Parma Ham Shards Crostini

 

Print Recipie

Author: The Foodie's Way

Serves: Makes about 15 - 20 crostini

Ingredients

• 1 small stone-baked baguette
• 1 tsp olive oil, plus extra for brushing and drizzling
• 6 – 8 figs, sliced
• 2 tsp thyme leaves
• 150g gorgonzola
• 6 slices parma ham

Instructions

1. Slice the baguette into 15-20 slices about 5mm thick. Brush each side of the bread with olive oil. Heat a griddle pan to high, and cook the slices in batches for about a minute on each side, until slightly charred. Cool on a wire rack.
2. Place the sliced figs in a bowl with 1 tsp olive oil and 1 tsp of the thyme leaves. Mix gently. Heat a griddle pan to medium and cook the figs for a minute or so until heated through, but not collapsed. Remove from the heat and set aside.
3. Place the parma ham slices on a foil-covered baking tray and drizzle with a little olive oil. Place under a hot grill for a several minutes until crisp and golden, turning halfway through. When cool, break the crisped parma ham into shards and set aside.
4. Spread the cooled crostini slices with the gorgonzola. Place a fig slice on each, and top with a parma ham shard. Scatter with the remaining 1 tsp thyme leaves, and drizzle with olive oil.

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