Photo : Claire Lower

Prosciutto crisps, which I fondly call “pork chips,” can function as a fancy snack, highfalutin’ bacon bit, or—in the case of one cocktail I had one time—unexpected drink garnish. Usually the paper-thin slices require at least 15 minutes in an oven to get them nice and crisp, but you can speed up the process considerably if you have a waffle maker.


Preheat your (nonstick or lightly greased) waffle maker as hot as it will go, then press the prosciutto between the two hot plates for three or four minutes, checking every minute or so to ensure it’s not burning. (Depending on the size of your waffle maker, you may have to cut the prosciutto to fit.) Once the fat has rendered and the meat has darkened to a nice, golden hue, remove the crisp(s) with tongs or chopstick, let it drain on a paper towel for a minute, then use it just as you could crispy bacon. Eat immediately, crumble onto a salad or into a bowl of soup, or slide into a sandwich. I have yet to have a prosciutto crisp make it into anything but my mouth, but I’m weak-willed when it comes to crispy pork.