How to host a jamón party

There is never a time when time itself becomes more precious than when you have a new baby. Every minute feels fleeting but also lasts an age. Time stands still, but the clock ticks faster than ever. I’ve been on maternity leave since May, when I welcomed baby Paz into the world. In New York, where I live, this is considered to be aeons. I am one of the lucky ones. There is no law that guarantees paid leave. The time away gave me space and perspective to really consider what is important to me, and what I need to carve time for. As a first-time mother, my sense of time totally shifted. Things that appeared to be important before became irrelevant, and things I made little time for in the past became increasingly relevant.

I am a mother now, but I am also still an artist, a partner, a cook, a sister, a daughter… and a host. I take pride in being a host. I’ve always had an open-door policy, and my friends know they are always welcome in my home. But with less time available to dedicate to hosting, I needed to rethink how I could continue to do something I love. With hosting, I find that people often get caught up with the cooking itself. But there is so much to it beyond that. You can be a fabulous host and not know how to boil an egg. It’s less about showing off your culinary skills, and more about how generous you are with your time. Sure, you may spend some of it cooking, but there is also the shopping, the prepping, tidying the house, arranging the flowers and then, most importantly, forgetting about all that once your first guests walk through the door and giving them your undivided attention – and, you guessed it, time. People come to your home not to enjoy a great recipe, but to hang out with you.

One way to save time when you don’t have much of it is to forfeit the cooking altogether. Perhaps the idea of a roast stresses you out, or if you are nursing a newborn and juggling a job, you may not have time to tend to the roast. An alternative is to assemble an orchestra of small dishes that require no cooking. This could be things like cheese, cured fish, raw vegetables, bread… the list is endless, and everybody is familiar with this sort of repertoire. But every orchestra needs a conductor to hold it together, and every meal needs its pièce de résistance: enter jamón ibérico de bellota. Good-quality jamón ibérico is a treasure. It comes with a price tag, but the simple, unadulterated pleasure it provides is unmatched. And it can last you months. Authentic jamón ibérico comes from pure ibérico-breed pigs that are raised free-range and principally fed acorns. And the finest jamón in the world comes from Cinco Jotas, one of Spain’s oldest and most respected producers. The ham has been produced using the same techniques in Jabugo since 1879. The town also has a microclimate that is ideal for breeding Iberian pigs and curing ham, and its inhabitants have dedicated centuries and generations to the craft. 

Fruit pairs nicely with jamón and feels good on the tongue after all the salt

Procuring good jamón is essential, but if you don’t know how to carve it, is in vain. I had a lesson from Cinco Jotas master carver Raúl Garrido. Garrido taught me that the tools are just as important as the ham itself. A sharp carving knife with a long, thin flexible blade is essential. As is a stand. He showed me how to prepare a ham properly by removing the outer layer and then trimming the fat. Once the meat is exposed, you make thin, nearly transparent slices, each about 5cm long. You keep the cutting surface flat to ensure straight, uniform pieces. Once the piece is sliced, you pick it up with tongs and set it on the serving plate. It is not immediately easy but, like many things in life, a little practice takes you far. Since jamón tends to be rich and sweet, I like to serve it with an assortment of dry crackers, as well as fruity green olives. Fruit itself also pairs nicely and feels good on the tongue after all the salt. 

With no time spent on cooking at all, I was able to host an indulgent Sunday feast where the afternoon bled into the evening, and baby Paz got a lick of one of the finer things in life. I enjoyed a slice of jamón and a sip of wine, all while feeding my baby his bottle. He may have been missing a sock, but no one seemed to notice. 

@lailacooks