This sweet and creamy treat takes about 20 minutes to make. The Maple Ham and Brie Crustini is a great appetizer for using left over spiral cut or store bought ham. Save the scrap pieces that are closest to the bone because those tend to be the juiciest.
Things You’ll Need:
- Ham (either spiral cut, on the bone or deli sliced)
- Maple Syrup
- Olive Oil
- French Bread
- Brie
- Frying Pan
- Tongs
- Non-stick Spray
- Knife
- Cutting Board
- Bowl
- Paper Towels
Cooking the Maple Ham and Brie Crustini Appetizers:
- Place your frying pan on the stove over medium-high heat.
- Give the frying pan a healthy coat of non-stick spray.
- Pour enough maple syrup into your frying pan so that it covers the pan.
- Allow the maple syrup to heat until it reaches a light boil. This will take about 10 minutes.
- Slice your French bread into small rounds that are about a half inch thick. One loaf should provide you with 30 to 40 rounds.
- Place the French bread rounds into a bowl.
- Pour a healthy amount of Olive oil over them.
- Toss the French bread rounds until they are well covered with oil.
- Place the French bread rounds in a toaster oven on a light toast. You’ll have to probably toast at least two batches as you don’t want to stack any of the rounds as they won’t crisp. Be sure to pull the rounds when they are a light golden brown.
- Return to the maple syrup on the stove when it has reached a light boil.
- Place several pieces of ham in the maple syrup, making sure that each piece is full submerged. You want to make sure to just use a single layer of ham in the frying pan
- Allow the ham to cook for one to two minutes on each side. Flip using a pair of tongs.
- When the ham is removed from the frying pan, place it on a plate and then blot the excess maple syrup away with paper towels.
- As your batches of ham are cooking, slice your brie thinly. Removing or leaving the rind is a matter of personal preference.
Assembling the Maple Ham and Brie Crustini Appetizer:
- Lay out the components of your Maple Ham and Brie Crustini Appetizer near your cutting board so they are easily accessible.
- Place a piece of brie on top of the French bread round.
- Add a piece of the maple fried ham on top of the round and voila. You have completed your Maple Ham and Brie Crustini appetizer.
- Serve to your guests at room temperature.
Preparing the custini’s ahead of time:
The nice part about this appetizer is that you can make it ahead of time and store it in the fridge. Then, remove the crustini’s from the fridge a half hour before serving. Then quickly zap them in the microwave for 20 to 30 seconds and they’ll taste like they just came out of the skillet.
A Word about the Brie:
There are obviously countless brie’s that you can choose from on the market at varying price points. Look for a brie that has a higher cream or crème (if it’s in French) content than the others. This will enhance the creaminess of the dish which will mix nicely with the salty-sweet component of the ham.
 |
 |
