Tips and recipes to impress with a basic from our refrigerator.
How to choose white ham?
Commercially, there are three categories of white ham depending on quality. Superior ham is considered the ultimate supermarket ham, with more demanding specifications than choice ham (mid-range), and standard ham, of less good composition.
Mostly, superior hams are sold in stores.
Mentions such as “old-fashioned ham”, “cooked in a cloth” or “cooked on the bone” are optional and provide information on the manufacturing process of the product, but say nothing about the quality.
What about nitrites and nitrates?
Nitrites and nitrates are food additives used in the food industry to extend the shelf life of foods, particularly cold meats. In recent years, however, their use has been controversial because they could promote the development of cancer.
Faced with the controversy, manufacturers have developed ranges of charcuterie “without added nitrites/nitrates”. However, this does not mean that they do not contain them. Nitrates are in fact naturally present in certain vegetable broths, used to cook ham, a process during which they transform into nitrites.
To distinguish truly nitrite-free products in stores, you need to look at the color of the ham. Those without nitrites/nitrates are not colored, and therefore have a naturally grayish color. Their shelf life is also shorter, 24 to 48 hours maximum.
Three good reasons to adopt ham
It is an economical source of protein
Did you know ? Ham contains more than 20g of protein per 100g, which ranks it among the best possible sources of protein, along with egg. Skinned, it is also low in fat, and contains only 117 kcal/100 g. It is also rich in B vitamins, which help the body produce energy and are necessary for the proper functioning of the nervous system.
Price-wise, white ham is one of the affordable foods.
Children love it
As much as it can be difficult to make them like fish, they are rarely choosy about ham. Even vegetables seem more appetizing if they are hidden under a slice of cold meats.
It is versatile
In croque-monsieur, a quiche, a cake, with a plate of shells or to garnish crepes… It’s simple, you can do everything with ham, except perhaps desserts. As it is already cooked, we also save time on our preparations, very practical when we have to improvise a teleworking lunch, or an aperitif.
Another tip, know that ham tolerates freezing very well. If you haven’t finished a package, you can slip the leftover ham into freezer bags or wrap them in cling film. It keeps for two months like this.
Right away: discover 19 recipes with ham.
Coquillettes, ham, Comté, shiitakes
© Louis Laurent Grandadam
Discover the recipe for Coquillettes, ham, Comté, shiitake
Fondant pizza with green tapenade
© Jean-Claude Amiel
Discover the recipe for Fondant Pizza with Green Tapenade
Baked cordon bleu
© Valéry Guedes
Discover the recipe for Baked Cordon Bleus
Endive with ham, buckwheat béchamel
© Louis Laurent Grandadam
Discover the recipe for Endives with ham, buckwheat béchamel
Chicken pie with pistachio nuts
© Romain Ricard
Discover the recipe for Chicken Pistachios with Pistachio Pie
Welsh rarebit with dark beer
© Jean-Claude Amiel
Discover the recipe for Welsh rarebit with dark beer
Cordons-bleus at the Echourgnac trap
© Valéry Guedes
Green pancakes, ham, egg and cheese
© Ciders of France
Discover the recipe Green pancakes, ham, egg and cheese
Cabbage croque monsieur without bread
© David Japy for Marabout editions
Discover the recipe for Cabbage Croque-Monsieur without bread
Grilled Cheddar Sandwiches
© Jérôme Bilic
Discover the recipe for Grilled Cheddar Sandwiches
Ham shell cake
© Jérôme Bilic
Discover the recipe for Ham Shell Cake
Endives with ham and béchamel
© Amandine Honegger and Sylvie Rost
Discover the recipe for Endives with ham and béchamel
Pak choi gratin, ham and béchamel
© Émilie Guelpa
Discover the recipe Pak choi gratin, ham and béchamel
Croque-monsieur
© Edouard Sicot
Discover the Croque-Monsieur recipe
Gourmet coquillettes with white ham and roast ham
© Pierre Baëlen
Discover the recipe for gourmet Coquillettes with white ham and roast ham
Croque monsieur with camembert
© Akiko Ida
Discover the recipe for Croque-Monsieur with Camembert
White pizza with ham and artichokes and pistachio pesto
© Nathalie Carnet
Discover the recipe for White Pizza with ham and artichokes, pistachio pesto
Parisian salad with gruyere and croutons
© Valéry Guedes
Discover the recipe for Parisian salad with gruyere and croutons
Croque monsieur with truffled gouda
© Nathalie Carnet
Discover the recipe for Croque-monsieur with truffled gouda