Platter of Cured Meats

Arrange the meats on a large platter. Slice the rockmelon and place between the meats. Pile the rocket on top and drizzle with olive oil and a good squeeze of lemon juice. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper and scatter over the shaved Parmesan. Serve with grilled bread that has been rubbed with a cut clove of garlic.

Prosciutto: also known as Parma ham – a ham that has been seasoned, salt-cured and air dried. It must be sliced very thinly, after the rind has been removed.

Bresaola: dried, salted and aged beef fillet. It is sliced thinly and is delicious drizzled with olive oil and lemon juice.

Mortadella: a large smoked sausage from Bologna made from beef and pork. It is recognisable by the cubes of pork fat scattered through the sausage.

Sopressata salami: a dry-cured salami from southern Italy with a characteristic flattened shape and an uneven, “rustic” appearance when sliced. It often includes hot pepper and lots of garlic. Slice thinly.

Coppa: dry-cured pork shoulder or neck, lightly seasoned with red wine or white wine, garlic and herbs, salted, then stuffed (as a whole joint) into a natural casing and hung for up to six months to cure.

Prosciutella: a type of sausage, similar to mortadella but with cubes of prosciutto thoughout.