Recipe of the Month

Spring is in the air and that means a wonderful bounty of fresh fruits and vegetables are beginning to reappear for their seasonal run.

Add an Italian flair to your next dinner party or cookout by including some fresh asparugus.

A very good friend shared his family's recipe for the perfect asparagus dish. With just a few simple ingredients, you'll create a tempting treat over which your guests will rave!

Asparagus alla Franceschini

1/2 pound of prosciutto
(sliced thin, but not the paper thin that butchers usually do. If sliced too thin the prosciutto will stick and tear on your grill)
1 bunch of asparagus (thick or thin, no difference)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 lemon, juiced
Salt and Pepper to taste

Ricco Deruta Medium Tray is the perfect size for presenting this dish.

Take asparagus firmly in your fist by the tip end and break off the cut end hilding it by just two fingers. The asparagus will naturally break off any tough parts. If asparagus just bends around your hand, then you have very fresh or very old asparagus (I will trust you to know the difference). You will usually break off and discard about a one inch piece from each spear.

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Put in one tablespoon of salt, stir and drop in the asparagus. Let boil for 30 seconds, then remove from pot with tongs and drop into a bowl of ice water. Remove and dry.

Roll one slice of prosciutto around a piece of asparagus and place in a bread pan. Continue until all prosciutto is used up. If you have extra asparagus, it can be used elsewhere or marinated and grilled with the wrapped pieces.

Pour olive oil, lemon juice, and salt & pepper over asparagus in bread pan. Let marinate for a few hours. You should roll asparagus around periodically to distribute the marinade.

Place on a gas grill over low to medium heat, or to the side of hot coals. Turn every two minutes until the prosciutto starts to brown at the tips - about six minutes. (Prosciutto is already cured/cooked so the whole point of grilling is to pick up the grilled taste.)

This makes a great first course, but I prefer to serve it as finger food with cocktails. A bit non-traditional, but if Ms. manners has a problem, I'll just eat her share.

This sounds more complicated than it is, but I believe in full disclosure on these things. Bon Appetit!

Check back for more recipes in the future, and feel free to share your own. Send your family recipe and we'll add it online. Drop us an email at recipes@ceramicsofeurope.com.

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