Little Potatoes with Crispy Prosciutto and Sage -- When the Ham Bone Has Given Everything It Has

Leftover ham is one of the minor mercies of Easter. The eight-pound ham was intentionally oversized because I do not cook a ham for one meal, I cook a ham for a week and then a soup. Eight pounds is three days of sandwiches for the lunch boxes, which Mason will eat without comment as long as there is cheese. It is also one pot of split pea soup, which I started Wednesday with the ham bone, three cups of split peas, an onion, two carrots, a diced potato, salt, and eight cups of water. In the pot by nine. Done by noon. Cost for the entire pot: two dollars sixty cents. Eight servings. Thirty-two cents per person. The accountant wrote this down with satisfaction.

Split pea soup is not a beautiful soup. It starts green and becomes a gray-green that is correct without being photogenic. I served it with leftover rolls because bread and split pea soup have been keeping people fed and warm since before anyone thought to write it down, and I am not going to improve on a combination that old.

Noah would not eat it. He is four and has established firm positions on soups. Chicken noodle: acceptable. Tomato from a can: acceptable. Split pea: categorically no, not open to negotiation, what even is this color. I gave him crackers, cheese, and leftover ham on a plate. He ate everything and acted as if this were a perfectly reasonable dinner. It was. I let it go, because the hill of split pea soup is not one I am willing to die on.

I finalized the workshop handout this week. Fourteen recipes, three-column tables: ingredients, quantities, cost per serving. A what-you-will-need list. And a QR code at the bottom, which was Olivia's idea. She is ten and more technologically forward-thinking than I am. She drew me a draft by hand first, a very earnest pencil approximation of a QR code, which does not function but which I have kept because it is the most sincere thing I have seen all week.

Six weeks to the workshop. The freezer has fifteen meals. Spring is here and I am almost ready.

The ham bone went into the soup pot Wednesday and came out spent, having done its final and best work. But prosciutto — which is, at its heart, just ham that made better decisions about its future — is what I reach for when I want that same salty, savory note without a leftover project attached. These little potatoes with crispy prosciutto and sage are what I made Thursday, because the soup was handled and the week still needed dinner, and this comes together in the time it takes Noah to be unconvinced by whatever I am serving him. Thirty minutes. One pan. No negotiating required.

Little Potatoes with Crispy Prosciutto and Sage

Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 22 min | Total Time: 32 min | Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lbs baby or little potatoes, halved
• 3 oz prosciutto, torn into rough pieces
• 10 fresh sage leaves
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for boiling
• Grated Parmesan, for serving (optional)

Instructions

1. Boil the potatoes. Place halved potatoes in a pot of well-salted cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook until just fork-tender, about 10–12 minutes. Drain and set aside.
2. Crisp the prosciutto. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the torn prosciutto in a single layer and cook, undisturbed, until the edges curl and crisp, about 2–3 minutes. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate.
3. Fry the sage. Add the sage leaves to the same skillet and cook until just crisp and darkened at the edges, about 30–45 seconds. Transfer to the plate with the prosciutto.
4. Sear the potatoes. Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet and increase heat to medium-high. Place the potatoes cut side down and cook without moving until golden brown, 4–5 minutes. Flip and cook 2 minutes more.
5. Add garlic and finish. Add the minced garlic to the pan, toss to coat the potatoes, and cook 1 minute until fragrant. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Combine and serve. Return the crispy prosciutto and sage to the pan and toss gently. Transfer to a serving dish and finish with grated Parmesan if desired. Serve immediately.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 215 | Protein: 9g | Fat: 10g | Carbs: 24g | Fiber: 3g | Sodium: 510mg