Salty Prosciutto and Sweet Fruits

A first course of prosciutto, sliced transparently thin with a ribbon of white fat, is so sweet and tender that it is like a veil of flavor on the tongue rather than a texture. The fat holds much of the ham’s perfume and is meant to be eaten along with the lean. As a first course, prosciutto is best served with slivers of the season’s most refreshing fruits. The fruits may be quartered fresh figs, sweet melon slices, velvety persimmon wedges, perfect peaches, or plump plums. Prosciutto and fruit are dazzling when arranged on oversize plates and brought to the table, where they’re drizzled with fresh lemon juice and sprinkled with fresh pepper.