Crostini with fontina, orange and lemon marmalade and prosciutto crudo

Method

1. Choose a firm country loaf (Pugliese or Altamura style) that has rested for a day: fresh bread goes soggy under the fontina, day-old bread holds its structure. Slice it 1.5 cm thick — you'll get 8 slices.
2. Preheat the oven to 250°C (480°F) on the grill setting, with the shelf near the top. The slices should sit about 10 cm from the top element: the position matters more than the temperature.
3. Lay the slices of bread on a tray lined with baking paper. For a richer flavour, brush them with a thin film of extra virgin olive oil before toasting. Skip this step if you prefer them dry.
4. Slice the fontina 3 mm thick (thinner and it melts badly, thicker and it won't melt evenly). Choose fontina from the Aosta Valley or, if you can't find it, a young Piedmontese toma. Allow 30 g per slice of bread.
5. Lay a slice of fontina on each crostino, edge to edge: it should cover the bread completely without overhanging, or it drips onto the tray and burns.
6. Grill for 3–4 minutes — keep an eye on them. The fontina is ready when it bubbles gently on the surface and the edges of the bread are golden. Go any further and the bread burns.
7. While the oven does its work, cut the prosciutto crudo (20 g per slice of bread) into strips 1 cm wide — easier to lay down without breaking the melted fontina.
8. Take the crostini out and leave them on the worktop for 1 minute: the fontina should still be sizzling, but no longer hot enough to burn your fingers.
9. Straight away, spoon 1 level teaspoon (5 g) of Minnelea Extra Orange and Lemon Marmalade into the centre of each crostino. The heat of the cheese loosens the marmalade and blends the two together: don't wait for the bread to cool.
10. Lay the strips of prosciutto crudo on top in a loose nest. The prosciutto should be at room temperature, never straight from the fridge: the clash of temperatures spoils the flavour.
11. Finish with a turn of freshly ground black pepper and a few chive stems snipped with a knife (5 g in total). No salt: the prosciutto and the marmalade bring enough of their own.
12. Serve within 5 minutes of taking them out of the oven, while the bread is still warm and crisp. Set them on a wooden board or a warmed plate so the bases don't cool down.