Mushrooms stuffed with raw ham

Tiny yet delicious, mushrooms lend themselves to being the protagonists of our menus and, more important still, they are extremely versatile: whether served as a starter or the main ingredient in a dish, mushrooms have what it takes to turn a recipe into something special, enhancing it with a unique flavour.

Mushrooms stuffed with raw ham are little flavour-packed gems, perfect for serving as an accompaniment to a Sunday lunch: moreover, served in this way, you will even get the pickiest children to eat them with pleasure.  

The Recipe:

Wash the mushrooms thoroughly, taking care to remove any traces of soil. If you wish, you can use a clean damp cloth to help you in this chore. Then chop the stalks and toss them in a non-stick pan in four spoonfuls of hot oil with a clove of garlic. Cook for 6 minutes, taking care to keep the pan lid on. Once the liquid has evaporated, add the parsley and the Negroni raw ham cut into fine strips. Set some of the ham aside for finishing off the recipe.  

Once this operation is complete, you can get on with the white sauce: in a pan, melt the butter over a gentle heat and add the sieved flour, mixing from time to time with a hand whisk to prevent any lumps from forming and then gradually add the warm milk. As you cook, continue to stir for another five minutes and season with salt, a pinch of nutmeg and the grated cheese. Mix all the ingredients and remove from the heat. When the white sauce is cool, add the egg yolk and the pan tossed mushrooms, ham and parsley.  

On an oven tray previously lined with greaseproof paper, arrange the mushroom caps you have previously set aside. Fill them with the sauce and sprinkle with the remaining strips of ham and one teaspoonful of breadcrumbs. Pop into the oven for twenty minutes at 200° C and serve your mushrooms while still hot.