Culinary delights from Black Forest ham with Jörg Sackmann
At the end of June, numerous guests from gastronomy, trade and the media accepted an invitation from the Protection Association of Black Forest Ham Manufacturers to come to Gaggenau. They all wanted to look over the shoulder of star chef and Black Forest chef Jörg Sackmann on the subject of "Black Forest ham in fine cuisine", but also lend a hand and spoon themselves.
The recipes that Jörg Sackmann gave to the participants were all based on one premise. They should show which taste experiences are possible with Black Forest ham and which combinations can be realized with this specialty in the kitchen. Ham and veal, ham and fish or even ham and ice cream only describe the small challenges that the workshop chefs had to face. The true ability then showed in the combination of hot with cold, sweet with cured.
The dishes prepared included: tomato jelly with watermelon and ham and rocket biscuits; Black Forest ham ice cream with potato cream and foie gras; Pousse Café with ham sticks; Veal knuckle in a crispy ham coat with morel gremolata, braised vegetables and ham patty; Mille feuille of goat's cream cheese with Black Forest ham, honey and artichokes.
With initiatives of this kind, which redefine the smoked ham specialty in culinary terms, the association wants to break new ground in marketing. "We want to get the Black Forest ham out of its snack corner and make it clear that it is a high-quality, contemporary and versatile specialty," says Peter Adler, head of marketing for the protection association. Black Forest ham as an EU-protected specialty needs innovative strategies in order to assert itself in the European competition and to secure and expand its position on the markets in the future.
Black Forest ham is a smoked, raw, boneless ham that is produced using traditional methods. In the factories, which are located exclusively in the Black Forest, the ham is rubbed with a special spice mixture of curing salt, herbs, garlic, pepper, coriander and juniper berries and then smoked cold in smoke chambers over sawdust and pine twigs from the Black Forest for several weeks.
The total production of Black Forest ham last year was 4,9 million units (27.200 tons/+ 4%).
Source: Gaggenau [ Brigitte Huebner ]
