You may have tried these meat-filled and wrapped dates in a restaurant and thought: this is really gourmet. But perhaps you didn’t imagine just how easy peasy they are to recreate.
And so it was when I visited Asiatiko in Miami and had their Turkey-Wrapped Dates. This was something new: sweet and smokey, crispy and soft. It was the perfect full-of-unique-flavor little appetizer. It wasn’t until I came home and began to research that I learned just how easy they are to make. And that’s not the only thing.
It’s so simple. Just stuff the date with a bit of seasoned meat and wrap it in ½ a deli strip.
This works best with the deli strips sold in vacuum sealed packaging, but will also work fine with the circles, cut in half (it’s just a bit harder to wrap, but is fine once baked).
People will grab this and say, “What are these? How did you make this?” They will be intrigued. And they’ll think you’re a major gourmet cook when all you did was put together three ingredients.
Serve them with a dip (not even necessary, but a truffle dip is nice), or if you want to line them up on a platter, a sprig of rosemary is the perfect green addition to dress up the plate.
- 16 medjool dates
- ¼ lb ground lamb or beef
- Salt and allspice (ok to substitute allspice)
- 9 oz turkey pastrami (long, thin strips)
- Oil or cooking spray, for brushing/spraying
- Truffle oil or truffle mayo (totally optional)
- Preheat oven to 425⁰F.
- Open dates and remove pit (and check).
- Season meat with salt and allspice. Stuff a little bit inside each date.
- Wrap each date in ½ slice of turkey pastrami. Place on lined or greased baking sheet. Spray dates with nonstick cooking spray.
- Bake for 20 minutes, until turkey is very crisp. (Taste them!)
- If desired, drizzle with truffle oil or truffle mayo before serving.
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