This is a very tasty nibble, although it’s a bit of a faff to prepare and doesn’t last very long with guests!

Still though, it’s worth it for special occasions.

You need prunes, blue cheese cut into small pieces, and prosciutto. Dried prunes are easier to work with than tinned prunes but they aren’t as moist. Feel free to choose your preference or work with what you’ve got available.

The prosciutto can be a little bit fiddly but it helps hold everything together. You can also do this with bacon but you need to cook it for longer to make sure it crisps up.

How to prepare

Make a small incision in the prune and prize out the stone.

Insert a piece of cheese.

Wrap the cheese-stuffed prune with some prosciutto.

Line them up in a baking tray. I sprayed a tiny amount of oil onto the tray first to stop them from sticking.

Preheat an oven to around 200⁰C or 400⁰F.

When it’s ready, add the tray and bake the little morsels for about 8-10 minutes until the cheese is nicely melted and the prosciutto has crisped up.

Serve them at once. They obviously go beautifully with a martini.

They combine creamy umami salty cheese with sweet, syrupy prune and crispy umami salty prosciutto. When they’re warm they contrast electrically with a cold, juniper/citrus martini.

I would recommend pairing them with a classic martini with lemon peel, rather than any with pickles or olives, otherwise it might start to crowd out your palette, but it’s up to you.

Whichever way you decide serve them, bear in mind that they won’t last long.

El trozo de la verguenza – Spanish for ‘the piece of shame’ refers to the last bite to eat on a shared plate. If you make these prosciutto-wrapped cheese-stuffed prunes for your guests it won’t be long before they find themselves at el trozo, I assure you.

Enjoy!