Ham

The French know how to take the proverbial ham-and-cheese combo and turn it into something special. And this super-satisfying main dish just couldn't be easier.

This pressed sandwich creates an appetizing balance between sweet and savory with the addition of prosciutto and dried figs.

True to its name, this rustic salad calls for a flavorful mix of sweet and savory ingredients, such as fresh and dried fruit, cured meat, and assorted greens. Serve this colorful salad as a side to a savory main course, or have it for lunch.

Pomegranate seeds add brightness to the look and flavor of this starter.

If there isn't a salumi plate, it can't be a modern Italian restaurant. Chef Frank Bonanno at the Osteria Marco in Denver takes the trend one step further, adding house-made relish and fluffy fried dough.

This simple, delicious dish hails from China's Shanghai region. It's a great way to use up leftover rice—if your rice is already cooked, you'll need 3 cups of it.

Ginger and Shaoxing rice wine give a deep, round intensity to chicken, turning it into something sumptuous. The salty savor of country ham and chewy, dense chestnuts help make each forkful a hit.

Who says main dishes have to be conventional? Here, prosciutto moves aside to put the cheese front and center, and an array of antipasto staples frame the crisp, gooey fried mozzarella. An aromatic anchovy vinaigrette ties it all together.

In this new take on the Caesar, fried eggs top the salad, and fish sauce replaces the usual anchovy fillets.

This unorthodox panino—you work in reverse, griddling the bread first, then layering it with prosciutto, Fontina, and arugula before baking—results in a warm, gooey flatbread with a crunchy crust.

Often overlooked, turkey cutlets are a great, inexpensive substitute for veal. Sandwiching a thin slice of prosciutto between two of them and frying the whole thing leaves you with a packet full of flavor and texture.

Aged Gruyère gives extra-nutty flavor.

The softly fried eggs are a wonderful counterbalance to the rich ingredients in this Spanish take on salade lyonnaise. Migas are Spanish croutons.

Getting rid of the crust for this clever play on quiche Lorraine is a win-win: The cooking process is simplified, and you're left with the very best part of the quiche.

Smoked pork shoulder usually isn't available at supermarkets, so you will need to order it in advance from your butcher. If you use ham shanks instead, try to find the kind without artificial flavors like liquid smoke. And don't throw out the cooking liquid; it's great for making soup.

You'll return again and again to this recipe since it can be assembled in advance and delivers serious flavor. The scent of ham gently permeates the eggs, whose yolks can be broken into the rest of the dish.

These rich nibbles only taste decadent. Soft goat cheese is naturally lower in fat.

Pastourma (also spelled basturma) is seasoned, cured beef.