Food: Serve A Gift-Wrapped Surprise For Your Mum

Feb 24 2008 Michael Kilkie

Mother's Day is round the corner and if you plan to rustle up dinner for that special lady, now's the time to plan ahead.

And this simple but delicious starter is bound to impress her.

I think hot, melting cheese is one of the best things in the world, whether it's simply cheddar on toast or the old school deep fried camembert served with a dollop of redcurrant jelly.

Today's recipe is a little more sophisticated but just as tasty. There are 101 different variants on today's dish. I've used goats' cheese, the log variety, cut into slices as it is quite firm and won't turn to liquid when cooked.

If you choose a softer cheese it will still work but you need to be careful with how long you cook it.

When brie or camembert are overcooked, chances are they will ooze out as Parma ham doesn't form as tight a seal as breadcrumbs, for example.

You can also vary the type of meat you wrap the cheese in. Any cured meat will work but you could also use a good quality bacon. Quality bacon has a lower water content and crisps up nicely, whereas poorer bacon will end up soggy.

The chutney you serve with this dish should have sweetness and a little sharpness to complement the cheese. You only have to think of a cheese board served with fruit to see how well this combination works.

Sugar and vinegar are essential ingredients in a good chutney.

A nice bed of leaves makes the dish more attractive, which is important as an appetising dish gets your tastebuds going before you even have a bite.

But of course it's most important that it has great taste to match.

No one wants to disappoint their mother, after all.

GOATS CHEESE WRAPPED IN PARMA HAM WITH SPICED TOMATO CHUTNEY

SERVES FOUR

4 slices goats cheese

8 slices Parma ham

4 basil leaves

Black pepper

1tbsp olive oil

For the chutney

1kg tomatoes, skinned and quartered

150ml white wine vinegar

150g brown sugar

1/2tsp ground cumin

1/2tsp ground coriander

3cm piece root ginger, grated

3 cloves garlic, crushed

1 onion, very finely chopped

2 red chillies, finely chopped

3 apples, peeled cored and diced

METHOD

Put the chutney ingredients except the apple in a pan, bring slowly to the boil and simmer. After 45 minutes add the apple and simmer for another 15 minutes and allow to cool. Place a basil leaf on each slice of goats cheese and wrap in two slices of ham, each in a different direction. Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry each slice of goats cheese for two minutes on either side until the ham is crisp and golden and the cheese is soft inside.

If you're using a soft cheese such as brie or camembert, here's a way to prevent it oozing out. Wrap the cheese in the ham as normal then dust it in flour, shaking off the excess, and dip it in beaten egg. Again shake off the excess before coating in breadcrumbs and either deep or shallow fry it in hot oil. Serve with the chutney but remember the cheese will be very hot.

If you're using a soft cheese such as brie or camembert, here's a way to prevent it oozing out. Wrap the cheese in the ham as normal then dust it in flour, shaking off the excess, and dip it in beaten egg. Again shake off the excess before coating in breadcrumbs and either deep or shallow fry it in hot oil. Serve with the chutney but remember the cheese will be very hot.