A cut above the rest

Meat lovers yearning for a feast can indulge in a selection of fine cured ham from all over Europe at Scarlett Wine Bar & Restaurant’s “Around Europe in Eight Hams” event until September 25.
Located on the 37th floor of the Pullman Bangkok Hotel G on Silom Road, with trendy decor, exquisite cuisine and an impressive wine list, Scarlett Wine Bar & Restaurant is the perfect venue for a relaxed dinner with the city sky¬line providing a stunning backdrop.
Guests can choose to dine alfresco on the terrace or in airconditioned comfort.
For a limited time, French Executive Chef Sylvain Royer is offering a culinary journey with a selec¬tion of premium quality cured hams served as delicious cold cuts.
The choices include two French hams; Jambon de Paris, a delicately spiced and lean slow cooked ham which usually slow cooked for seven to eight hours in a vegetable soup stock and wrap in its skin. Originally from Paris, it is considered the best Parisien style ham, and is available at Bt300 for 100 grams.
Another is Jambon de Bayonne (Bt3,050 for 100 grams), a sweet tasting airdried ham from southwest France which holds Protected Designation of Origin status.
Only two breed of pigs may be used. Most will be a pie noir breed of Basque pig that is allowed to roam free in the forests and hills. They are fed on acorns, chestnuts and natural cereals for a balanced diet. The ham is salt cured for 10 days, then air-dried for at least seven months.
Full-flavoured hams from Spain; Jamon Iberico de Bellota and Jamon Pata Negra, are also available, at Bt650 and Bt850 per 100 grams respectively. These two hams are cured from two to four years and are regarded as two of the world’s finest hams.
Produced across Spain, especially in the southwest regions, the hams are made from free-range pigs that wander freely among oak forests feeding on acorns which give the meat its exquisite flavour. The ham itself has an intense flavour with a note of sweetness, a little nutty but not too salty.
Other special cold cuts include Prosciutto di San Daniele, a prized Italian ham only produced in the hilly Friuli Venezia Giulia region around the town of San Daniele. At Bt300 per 100 grams, the ham should be bone in with rosy red meat that is nicely marbled with white fat. It is usually air-dried for at least 20 months to yield a sweet and aromatic flavour and is best served with bread, mild fruit such as melon or fig and slightly aromatic white wines.
The ham is also recognised by its typical guitar-like shape.
Black Forest ham from Germany is also on the menu. It has a distinctive aroma which is created by gentle smoking over fir and spruce wood, and is available at Bt350 per 100 grams. As well, the succulent Ardennes ham from Belgium, which is produced using the rare Mangalica breed of pigs from Hungary, is offered at Bt500 per 100 grams.
Rounding off the selection is the Mangalica ham from Hungary, priced at Bt650 per 100 grams. A chef’s recommendation, this rare delicacy is made with meat of the Hungarian breed of domestic pig which has a thick woolly coat similar to sheep. Sensational and hearty, the rich and strong ham has a pleasant chestnut taste.

Little porkers
>> Around Europe in Eight Hams promotion is being held at the Scarlett Wine Bar & Restaurant at Pullman Bangkok Hotel G on Silom Road until September 25.
>> The restaurant is open daily from 6pm till 1am. Call (02) 238 1991 and (096) 860 7990.