French Appetizers: Dukkah & Feta Wrapped with Prosciutto

Dukkah
1 1/2 cups


¾ cup (100g) hazelnuts or almonds
½ cup (70g) sesame seeds
½ cup (150g) pumpkin seeds
3 tablespoons coriander seed
3 tablespoons cumin seed
1 tablespoon fennel seed
2 tablespoons coarse ground black pepper
2 scant teaspoons fleur de sel, or fine sea salt
1 teaspoon sweet paprika


1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC).
2. Toast the hazelnuts or almonds in the oven until they begin to turn golden and smell toasty, about 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and, is using hazelnuts, transfer them to a paper bag or a tea towel which you must close around the nuts so they steam slightly and their skins blister away from the nuts. Note that hazelnuts tend to roast unevenly, and you may need to return some of them to the oven to continue roasting. When the hazelnuts are cool, rub them in the towel or bag to remove as much of the papery skin as possible. For almonds, they toast more evenly and do not need skinning.
3. Place the sesame seeds in a heavy skillet and toast them over medium heat, shaking the pan constantly, until they turn golden and smell toasty, about 5 minutes. Remove from the pan, and repeat the process with the pumpkin seeds
4. Place the coriander seeds in a small, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat and toast just until they begin to smell fragrant, about 45 seconds. Remove from the heat. Repeat with the cumin seeds. Repeat with the fennel seeds.
5. Place the hazelnuts, sesame seeds, and the salt in the work bowl of the food processor and pulse until the nuts are coarsely chopped. Add the seeds, the pepper, and the paprika and process until the mixture is finely ground. Be careful not to over process so the nuts don’t become oily. Transfer to a serving bowl.


Feta Wrapped with Prosciutto
About 40 appetizers


Our neighbor, the charcutier Patrice Barbot, makes tasty little rolls like this, which tempt me each time I walk past his window. His are larger – each would make a serving – and they are ideal for a first course, atop a salad. I’ve made them small here, so that they are little bites to serve with a wonderful glass of…rosé, preferably from the Lubéron. You may use any air-cured ham, though you must be sure it is very thinly sliced.


NOTE: Turkish feta-style cheese, which has a fifty percent fat content, is unbelievably rich tasting and creamy, and perfect here. Greek feta, which is saltier and more crumbly, makes a worthy substitute.


4 ounces (120g) thinly sliced air-cured ham (such as Prosciutto),
cut in 1-inch (2.5cm) wide strips
4 ounces (120g) feta cheese cut into 1x 1/4 x 1/4-inch (2.5 x .75 x .75 cm) pieces
About 20 fresh sage leaves, cut lengthwise in half
1/3 cup (80 ml) extra virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper


1. Lay out several strips of the ham, and place cubes of feta at one end. Lay half a sage leaf across each piece of feta so the tip of the leaf sticks out beyond the edge of the strip of ham, then roll the ham around the feta and sage. Place the roll upended in a shallow bowl so that the cheese shows, and crowd the rolls together to keep them from unrolling.
2. Continue until all of the feta and the sage are rolled inside ham strips. Pour the olive oil over the feta rolls and marinate at room temperature for 1 hour. Just before serving, sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper.
Serve, using toothpicks to skewer the rolls.