In the Tremiti Islands the Spanish art of ham conquers San Domino

F or one evening the smells and flavours of Spain blended together and overpowered those of the island of San Domino, giving rise to a one-of-a-kind gastronomic event: from distant Malaga, the art of cutting jamòn, which is what Spanish ham is called, has landed on the Tremiti Islands. It has nothing to do with the Italian one, but is a sub-distinction to the Spanish one, which can be Iberian or Serrano depending on the breed of pig and the geographical origin, and this is why we have Iberian jamòn and Serrano jamòn.

The person who facilitated this extraordinary meeting between the flavours and colours of Malaga and those of the Tremiti Islands, on a suggestive summer night and in a well-known restaurant, was Francisco Fernandez Ruiz , a young chef who, after having learned almost all the secrets of Italian pizza, becoming an expert in various types of dough, decided to give his guests his long family tradition of “cortador de jamòn”. In Spain, the cortador de jamòn is a recognised professional, he is frequently found at events, banquets or fairs for haute cuisine, theirs is a true centuries-old culinary art: tasting such delicacy, in fact, requires true professionals.

The county is equipped with expertise, technique and passion, specific knives and supports are used to have an accurate cut that enhances the ham allowing you to enjoy every single slice at its best. But the cortador's skill culminates in plating. In the end, what appears are not simple plates with slices of ham, but real works of art that respect geometric shapes and rules of color harmony, just as the painter uses tempera to shade and color, in the same way the cortador uses the intensity of the meat and fat to give life and expression to the dish.

A unique experience for tourists present on San Domino who were able to enjoy the unique flavor of a jamón iberico de Cebo de campo, pigs fed on acorns and in meadows of a certain altitude where physical exercise allows the proper formation of more flavorful muscle and fat.

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