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Saturday, September 08, 2012

Legends from Europe, The Count of Monte Christo Breakfast Pastries.

The Count of Monte Christo Breakfast Pastries
I was recently asked by the wonderful people at Legends of Europe to develop a recipe for Prosciutto di San Daniele.  I knew about, and love Prosciutto, but I decided to learn a little more about this Italian Gem and what makes it so special.
Prosciutto di San Daniele with artisan bread & cheeses

A PIG THIGH CAN ONLY BECOME PROSCIUTTO DI SAN DANIELE IF IT FULFILS THREE CONDITIONS

First of all, the origin of the raw material. The thighs must come exclusively from pigs bred in ten regions of Northern Central Italy (Friuli Venezia Giulia, Veneto, Lombardy, Piedmont, Emilia Romagna, Tuscany, Lazio, Abruzzo, Marche, Umbria).


Secondly, respect for the production method inherited from an ancient tradition. Since any form of freezing of the meat is forbidden, the fresh thighs must rapidly reach the small hill town of Friuli, to set in motion a production process that recreates the natural rhythm of the seasons, using sea salt, without the addition of chemical additives or preservatives.
Finally, the subsequent development must occur at San Daniele del Friuli. We could define this as maturation, but in fact this process is something more, it has a lot to do with the Genius loci of the prosciutto capital. Nature lends a hand. A vital element is the good air that prevails here, where the winds that descend from the Carnic Alps meet those coming from the Adriatic, carrying resinous scents which mix with brackish aromas in an environment where humidity and temperature are regulated by the morainic land and the waters of the Tagliamento, one of the last European rivers to preserve its original course. 

Reading about this Italian Masterpiece made me want to board a plane and put my name on one of these precious hams, but I would have to settle for tasting Italy, sigh.....  I decided to pick the breakfast category and do a take on one of my favorite sandwiches, The Monte Christo.  As most of you know making a Monte Christo is not an easy, or fast process, but I've taken those wonderful flavors and textures and put them into an easy to make breakfast pastry you will be proud to serve to anyone.
Ingredients
1 17.3 ounce box of puff pastry (2 sheets)
1/4  pound of sliced Prosciutto di San Daniele
1/4  pound of sliced Smoked Provolone Cheese
1/3 plus another 1/3 cup cup of four fruit jam, (the second 1/3 cup will be served with the pastries) this can be substituted with raspberry or strawberry jam if you prefer.
1 egg lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon water
1/4 cup powdered sugar
Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Roll one sheet of cold, thawed puff pastry dough into a 10 inch square. divide evenly into 4 squares.
Place a slice of Prosciutto di San Daniele on the center of your square, see photo above
Place one slice of the Smoked Provolone on top of the Prosciutto di San Daniele Ham, you will probably need to break the cheese up to fit over the ham, this is fine
Place one teaspoon of four fruit jam on top of the cheese. Be careful not to add too much jam or it will leak out during the baking process
To assemble your pastry, brush all exposed areas with your egg wash, fold the dough the way you see it in the photo, making sure to use your egg wash (to glue) your dough together. Place the pastries on your parchment lined baking sheet (you will probably only be able to do 4 at one time). Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown. This recipe will yield 8 pastries.
 While pastries are still warm sift generously with powdered sugar and serve warm with extra jam. This recipe combines the delicious,  complex, salty flavor of the Prosciutto di San Daniele, the smoky, gooey provolone, the sweet, 4 fruit jam, and the crisp, flaky texture of the puff pastry. We liked it with a little extra jam spooned on top, but I really think you'll enjoy these breakfast treats.
 Bon Appitito! 

36 comments:

  1. That looks delicious! And quite easy with your instructions!

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  2. Thank you so much Lois, they really are easy, the combination of flavors and textures is quite a treat for the taste buds :)

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  3. Love the pics and info, Shannon. Of course I expect to be invited over when you start serving! :-)

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  4. Looks delicious Shannon, I love the step by step pictures. Beautiful!
    paulasplate.net

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  5. Yummy - can't wait to try these. Love the lesson on "where it came from" too. fun! - Noelle

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  6. Thank you so much Paula & Noelle, I"m so glad you enjoyed the tutorial and history :)

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  7. I love how you demonstrated this. The final dish is beautiful and looks delicious. The photography is amazing. I didn't have any idea about the prosciutto. One of the best posts ever.

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  8. This is a beautiful posting and the dish looks delicious. From Sherry H.

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  9. This is a great posting...hope you'll make them for us when you come and visit. Craig

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  10. This is the beauty found in the art of cooking. I could only imagine this amongst so much more in a an elegantly bound book, I envision a "Romance with Legends of Europe" -like a book with the history, the stories, the people, the recipes, the photos and the beauty of of your words. This is a masterpiece!

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  11. Oh my these sound sinfully good Shannon!~Roberta

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  12. It's an incredible recipe I'd like to try soon! I love Monte Cristo sandwiches and this looks amazing!!!!

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  13. Beautifully done, and I love what you wrote. I can taste it NOW! :)

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  14. Shannon, you know you are one of my all-time favorite bloggers. I love this posting because firstly, you taught me the three ways a pig can become Prosciutto di San Daniele! Not an easy task I might add! Secondly, the recipe The Monte Christo Breakfast Pasty, hit's it out of the ballpark for me. I love the sweet and salty combo and the oozing cheese would be magnifico! I can't wait to try this recipe with the Prosciutto di San Daniele! <3 Donna Bardocz

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  15. Ya killin' me over here. The deliciousness is beyond great! It takes me back to a vacation on St. Martin. The French bakery there made the most incredible pastries similar to what you have made. Thanks for the recipe! I will bake some and pretend I am on vacation!

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  16. shannon the details about the process are fascinating, and this looks amazing. You always inspire me to be daring - you lioness you!

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  17. Amazing...you have such a talent!

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  18. That looks absolutely amazing and not really too hard to prepare as long you have the right ingrediants. Excellent.

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  19. Shannon, as always you've chosen the perfect recipe, at the right time (for me). Your unique ability to improve on, an already favorite sandwich (The Monte Christo) and make it easy to prepare. Your presentation above, lots of pictures (just for me, I know.. :)) and the way you explain from preparation to serving tips. You are "The Passionate Vixen of The Kitchen", as i'm planning an intimate gathering of a few very close friends, for a night of fun and games.

    Thank you Shannon,

    Michael Miller

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  20. Oh Wow. Michael, I love it! The Passionate Vixen of The Kitchen, I may have to use that, lol. Thank you so much for your kind comments :)

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  21. Shannon, your recipe sounds delicious and looks too pretty to eat! What a great post. I love reading the history...and oh, how I'd love to board that plane to Italy with you! :) xoxo

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  22. Oh, this looks and sounds wonderful! I'm definitely going to try it! I love all the ideas on your blog, Shannon! You're so creative!

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  23. Thank you so much Lorraine and Debby, you have both followed this blog from day one and It warms my heart to have you as followers <3 Lorraine, we still need to take that trip to Tuscany :)

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  24. I got to have this and it was absolutely delicious! I can't wait to try more from this blog! :)

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  25. Man, these are really delicious! Better than a Monte Christo!!!

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  26. These sound so good, I love all the flavors you combined, very inspiring!

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  27. Delicious & Beautiful ~ You are amazing Shannon!!
    Dee

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  28. Thank you so much Jenn and Dee, coming from two talented cooks like you, that means a lot <3

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  29. Wow it's beautiful, and sounds delicious! Love your photo's!

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  30. Your posts never cease to amaze me, you do fabulous recipes and your pictures and blog are over the top. Congratulations on a superb job!

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  31. Fantastic idea, Shannon! Another delicious recipe from you!! :-)

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  32. First of all your Blog is so beautiful, it drew me in and I wanted to see more ! I had the pleasure of eating prosciutto while in Spain over the summer. It is so buttery and wonderful, I couldn't stop eating it ! Thank you for sharing such an informative piece on the art of curing this delicacy. It really is an art form !

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  33. I absolutely love how you retained all of the flavors of a Monte Christo, but in a simplified version! My kids can even make this one! Thanks!

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  34. this looks so delicious and i like the instructions they seem easy to make.

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