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Parma Ham and seafood skewers make for a stylish dinner party starter, and they only take minutes to make.

All you need to do is to simply wrap slices of Parma Ham around scallops and thread on to rosemary spears, along with king prawns. Cook on a griddle or barbeque and serve with a delicious caper and coriander salsa.  Done!  The full recipe is given below.

Parma Ham is a completely natural food with nothing added except salt. Making a Parma Ham is a long and painstaking process. The curing is controlled carefully so that the ham absorbs only enough salt to preserve it to retain its distinctive sweet flavour.  Prosciutto di Parma, is produced in the hills surrounding the Italian town of Parma. The air in the Parmesan hills is unique, dry and sweet-smelling with breezes from the Apennine mountains, creating perfect environmental conditions for a natural “drying” of the hams.

The unique taste of Parma Ham is dependent on the traditional production process passed down from Roman times, carefully controlled by the Consorzio del Prosciutto di Parma. Only hams that have passed stringent curing regulations approved by the EU can be awarded the stamp of the Ducal crown – a five pointed coronet logo with PARMA in the centre which is branded onto the ham’s skin. The Ducal Crown is now a certification trademark.

For more information on Parma Ham, please visit www.prosciuttodiparma.com

Recipe for Parma Ham-wrapped scallop and king prawn surf ‘n’ turf skewers with a caper and coriander salsa

Serves 4 as a starter or 2 as a main

4 long stems of fresh rosemary

4 slices Parma Ham, sliced in half lengthways

8 scallops

8 raw king prawns

olive oil

salsa:

2 handfuls chopped coriander

3 tbsp chopped capers

3 tbsp diced cucumber

1 tbsp finely chopped red onion

½ green chilli, finely chopped

4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

zest and juice of 1 lemon

zest and juice of 1 lime

salt and black pepper

1.  Strip the leaves off the rosemary spears, leaving 2-3cm leaves at the end of each

2.  Wrap a strip of Parma Ham around each scallop

3.  Thread a prawn onto each rosemary skewer followed by a Parma Ham-wrapped scallop. Alternate prawns and scallops so that each skewer has 3 prawns and 2 scallops

4.  Combine all of the ingredients for the salsa and season to taste

5.   Heat a lightly oiled heavy based frying pan, griddle or barbecue  and cook the skewers for 1-2 minutes per side until the prawns are pink and no longer raw, and the scallops are firm to touch

6. Serve the skewers with plenty of salsa and green leafy salad leaves

Cook’s tip: If you are short of time, prepare the skewers in advance and refrigerate until you are ready to cook. The salsa can also be made and chilled for 3-4 hours in advance

The Italian food market is a fiercely competitive one, as myriad firms compete to bring the taste of that nation’s great cuisine to food-lovers all around the globe, from pesto to spaghetti Bolognese. Yet, in spite of the sheer weight of competition, Sacla have elicited an enduring affection from cooks of all ages and nationalities, with their pesto and Italian sauces that prove to be lasting favourites for those kitchen adventurers seeking to tease new dimensions of flavour from their Italian recipes.

Some of the items sitting on the supermarket shelves under the guise of Italian cooking sauces can tend to be rather removed from the authentic Italian gastronomic experience. Sacla consumers need have no suspicions as to the ‘Italianicity’ of their chosen sauces and pestos though, with the majority of Sacla products still originating from within Italy itself, and the firm still residing in the hands of the Ercole family who founded it over seven decades ago. The Italian sauces that Sacla deliver to their customers can form a critical component of any Italian food recipes, or they can simply be used as condiments to add a sublime layer of extra flavour – but in either circumstance, Sacla sauces are a simple, time-efficient way to get an authentic taste of Italy into any meal

Still made in Italy to this day, Sacla stir through sauces are a particularly flexible addition to any dish, going with anything from pasta to potatoes. Amongst the broad range of flavours are oven roasted tomato and rocket (made from fillets of tomato and year-old Parmigiano Reggiano cheese), and Italian red onion and gorgonzola (which uses the piccante type of the famous cheese to deliver its great flavour). Sacla’s pesto range is similarly eclectic in terms of the rich range flavours on offer, with each of the ten varieties working as a complement for pasta, meat, fish and vegetable dishes alike. Again all made in Italy, the likes fiery chilli pesto and fresh coriander pesto can unlock fresh layers of flavour from a meal, while a tip from the Sacla team is to try the placing their classic basil pesto it under chicken breast skin before roasting.

Antipasti is an important element of many Italian food recipes too; it makes for a great appetiser with which to whet the palette ahead of the main dish, or a tasty addition to the likes of pizza, cold meat or salads. Sacla antipasti flavours include artichoke and char-grilled peppers. There are suggestions at Sacla.co.uk as to what foods you might like to try their sauces and pestos with, as well as a comprehensive range of online recipes which are categorised by the amount of time you have available to cook, the foodstuffs you want to include in your dish, and even the occasion for which you might be cooking.

Sacla (an acronym of Societa Anonima Commercio Lavorazione Alimentari) originates from Asti, in the Piedmont region of north-west Italy, and seventy years from its humble beginnings, it is still working to fulfil the original goal of founder Signor Secondo Ercole; to bring the flavour of Asti to those people all around the world who are passionate about authentic Italian food. Using only the best in fresh ingredients – supplied by Italian farmers with whom Sacla have nurtured close working relationships which stretch back for decades – Sacla always favour a traditional, organic approach to cuisine, with quality and sustainability being of paramount concern.

From tiramisu to spaghetti carbonara, feast on Italian favourites, as well as plenty of surprises!

Hot on the trail of Rhodes Across the Caribbean, Gary Rhodes hot-foots it to Italy on a mission to learn the secrets of Italian cooking from the very best. Taken out of his comfort zone, Gary must learn how to master the dishes of ten Italian regions, whilst viewers are treated to an Italian cookery course as Gary picks up tips from masters.

Gary and his Sous chefs Clare and Marc, handpicked to take part in the series due to their love of food and Italy, will travel the length and breadth of Italy – from Rome to Sicily from Tuscany to Venice, discovering the delicacies of ten regions.

Using the stories of the Italian contributors as the guide to find authentic dishes, Gary will learn to cook their recipes using the abundance of fresh vegetables, olive oil, seafood and of course pasta, at each stunning location and will discover the traditional roots of the classic Italian dishes we all know and love.

Rhodes Across Italy culminates with Gary and his two apprentices catering for a celebration banquet in Venice, using the knowledge and skills acquired on this trip of a lifetime. In attendance will be the many mentors Gary has met on his Italian journey, eager to see just how much he has learnt from them. Will Gary be able to master the necessary Italian culinary skills in time, or will the pressure be too much for him and his apprentice Sous chefs?

Gary Rhodes says: ‘Italy showed off to me its wonderful natural beauty, abundance of gourmet delights and proved to be one of the most memorable and fascinating culinary experiences that I can remember. I think I’ve fallen in love!’

The sumptuous dishes and breathtaking scenery, as well as the heart warming tales from those Gary meets on his way, will provide some much needed comfort food amongst all this wintery gloom. Have a Venetian Spritz, or a full-bodied Chianti, put the pasta on the boil and recreate your own Italian winter break with Rhodes Across Italy.

All the recipes from the show as well as recipe clips will be available on goodfoodchannel.co.uk

Rhodes Across Italy starts weeknights at 9pm from Wednesday 20th January on Good Food.