Recipe: Devils On Horseback
Prosciutto clings better than bacon to dates, in this sweet and salty bite
My first encounter with these devils was not under that name. I was cooking in an Italian restaurant, and the chef asked me to remove the pits from a case of dates, stuff them with Taleggio cheese and wrap them in prosciutto.
Later, I learned that the dates or prunes (sometimes soaked in brandy) are usually wrapped with bacon. It’s not that much more work, using a toothpick to skewer the uncooked bacon around the dried fruit, but it’s unnecessary.
Prosciutto is more effective as cling wrap, a strip easily looping around the date and forming a seal, as if that was what it was designed to do. Those two ingredients on their own, served warm — a gangbusters interplay of sweet and savoury — are all anyone needs.
The version here, though, is exactly as I first tasted them. Because why not gild the lily by stuffing your dates with cheese?
Devils On Horseback
Ingredients
- 60 medjool dates
- ½ lb block of Taleggio cheese
- 20 slices of prosciutto
Preparation
*It's essential to use the large and juicy medjool dates, as opposed to the more commonly available deglet noor, which are great for baking, but are drier and too small to stuff.
Use a paring knife to remove the pit from dates. It's easier than you think: just run the tip along the length of the fruit like you're making an incision with a scalpel. This will force the pit out the root end.
Slice the cheese into pit-sized strips. Stuff each date with a piece of cheese. It's OK if the cheese is larger than the crevice. The prosciutto will hold the bundle together.
Cut each prosciutto slice lengthwise into three strips. Use each strip to wrap one date. When all of the dates are assembled, store them in the fridge until party time (even a few days ahead).
To serve, preheat oven to 375F degrees. Place wrapped dates on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Bake until cheese melts, about 10 minutes, turning occasionally as the prosciutto gets crispy on the pan-side.
Transfer dates to a serving platter and arrange in a big pile.
Yield: Makes 60 hors d'oeuvres, or enough for about 20-30
Corey Mintz is a food columnist for the Globe and Mail and TVO. Find him on Twitter and Instagram @coreymintz.
