Iberian ham is one of the most internationally renowned Spanish delicacies, and simply slicing it and serving it with a bit of bread and olive oil is enough to savor its full flavor. However, at Enrique Tomás, we also like to create preparations using this ingredient to serve as appetizers.

And Iberian ham bonbons are one of our favorites!

Recipe for Iberian Ham Bonbons

Ingredients

• 1 pack of Iberian acorn-fed ham
• 100g of cream cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon of ground black pepper
• Pitted dates
• 50g of chopped almonds
• Tomato jam
  
  

Preparation

1. The first thing you need to do is prepare the filling for the bonbons. To do this, place the chopped almonds in a bowl and cut the dates as small as possible. Mix them together.
   
   
2. Add the cream cheese and ground black pepper, and mix again. If you find that it doesn't blend well because the cheese is too firm, you can heat a pot of water and place the bowl with the ingredients on top. The cheese will soften from the heat, making it easier to mix everything together.
   
   
3. Now, let's prepare the slices of ham. Lay them flat, cut them in half, and place them on a base for making bonbons so that they come out rounder.
   
   
4. Once you've placed them all, fill each one with a bit of the mixture you prepared earlier and then shape them into bonbons.
   
   
5. Now that you've completed the last step, all that's left is to serve them! Arrange them on a plate in a circle next to each other, and in the center, place the tomato jam. Everyone will be delighted!

Remember that if you've purchased a pack of sliced ham, it will be ready to use, and all you need to do is open it, wait for the slices to naturally separate from each other, and then use them for the bonbons. However, if you have a whole ham piece, things are a bit different.

If you've already started it, it's better to remove the first few slices as they may be a bit drier. You can use these to make delicious Iberian ham croquettes to serve alongside the bonbons, and once you've cut those, you can use the ones after for the bonbons.

To finish, since this preparation is delicious, we recommend serving it as a canapé along with other equally exquisite appetizers. For example, a charcuterie board can be an ideal option, as well as a tasting of Spanish omelette skewers. Our favorite is the one with potatoes and onions or the one with black pudding, but to each their own. If you serve all of this with some chilled white wine, you'll leave everyone amazed!

If you liked the idea, don't hesitate to try other combinations, such as Serrano ham with quince. With that said, do you have everything ready to prepare some irresistible Iberian ham bonbons? If so, don't waste any more time and get started immediately!

When you taste them, you'll understand why we love them so much and want to prepare them for every special occasion!