Serrano ham is a product that should be in every household, and although it has always been enjoyed on its own or used to make sandwiches, there are increasingly new culinary ideas where ham takes center stage.

Today at Enrique Tomás, we're going to show you how to make the famous crispy Serrano ham, an ingredient that will become the undisputed star of many of your favorite recipes.

How to Make Crispy Serrano Ham Step by Step

Also known as ham chips or simply crispy ham, this new culinary invention is perfect for making use of those dry slices that are left. The idea is to make the ham lose all its moisture and fat, resulting in a crispy, intense, and delicious "cookie."

Unlike ham salt, we will leave the crispy Serrano ham in larger pieces to eat it as a chip or use it for decoration in elegant dishes.

Ingredients for Making Ham Chips

1. Sliced Gran Reserva Ham
2. Wax paper or kitchen paper
3. A craving for something delicious!

Making Ham Chips

• First, place a sheet of wax paper on a baking tray and place the Serrano ham slices on it.
• Make sure the slices are all the same thickness to ensure even cooking.
• Place another sheet of paper so that the slices are "covered." Then, place something to add weight and help the slices stay flat and not curl. It can be another tray or an oven-safe container.
• Cook in the oven at 180 ºC for 20 minutes. After this time, remove from the oven very carefully, uncover, and transfer the slices to another tray or plate at room temperature until they cool down.
  
  

Don't worry if the ham slices are still pliable when you take them out of the oven; they will become crispy and brittle once they cool down.

If you prefer, you can also make crispy ham in the microwave. Follow the same procedure, heating at full power in 40-second intervals until the ham has dried out.

These ham chips can be made with any type of ham, but from Enrique Tomás, we invite you to ask yourself this question:

Is it worth doing this with 100% Iberian acorn-fed ham?

The Best Recipes with Crispy Ham

Now that you have crispy Serrano ham, you might be wondering what to do with it. The answer is evident—eat it! But if you want to use it as an ingredient to add a gourmet touch to your usual dishes, we recommend trying it with the following dishes:

• Melon soup with crispy ham
• Salmorejo with crispy ham
• Melon balls with crispy ham
  
  

In addition to these classic dishes, remember that these ham chips are ideal as decoration for various dishes, such as rice dishes, omelets, or any type of vegetable cream.