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Posts Tagged ‘Cooked ham’

Chicken and Ham Pie

Posted in Chicken, Food, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on 21 February 2021| Leave a Comment »

Who doesn’t love a chicken pie … and it’s the melty leeks that really make this one. We’ve used leftover roast chicken and baked ham, though turkey and ham would also be perfect of course.

Wine Suggestion: Domaine Bellevue near Touraine in the Loire has a vineyard that grows lovely, expressive and ripe Chardonnay. Maybe its the soil or the aspect, but in this cool climate more suitable for crisp Sauvignon Blanc, this vineyard shows it has something special and is a little bit warmer. A great value bottle too as there are hints of Burgundy for much less money.

Chicken and Ham Pie – serves 4

  • 60g butter
  • 3 leeks, trimmed and sliced
  • 60g flour, plus a bit extra to dust
  • 425ml milk
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 300g leftover cooked chicken, cut into chunks
  • 150g cooked ham, cut into chunks
  • 2 tbsp chopped flat leaf parsley
  • freshly grated nutmeg
  • 300g puff pastry
  • 1 egg yolk, mixed with a little water and salt

Melt the butter in a heavy based pan with a lid. Add the leeks and cook gently for 5 minutes, then add a splash of water, cover and sweat for 10 minutes.

Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Take the pan off the heat and gradually stir in the milk. Put the pan back over the heat and bring to the boil, stirring. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

Season the leek mixture, then add the mustard, chicken and ham. Heat through, then add the parsley and some grated nutmeg. Leave to cool.

Heat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.

Spoon the chicken into a pie dish (about 20 x 25cm). Sprinkle some flour over your work surface, then roll out the pastry until quite thin. Cut off a strip, wet it and press onto the lip of the dish. Put the rest of the pastry on top, pressing down firmly. Trim off any excess pastry, then crimp the edges with a fork or the point of a knife. Use the pastry scraps to decorate the top if you like. Make a few slashes in the top to let the steam out.

Brush with the egg yolk and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until golden.

(Original recipe from Food from Plenty by Diana Henry, Mitchell Beazley, 2010.)

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Farfalle with Peas, Mushrooms & Ham

Posted in Food, Italian, Pasta, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on 23 January 2021| 2 Comments »

This is a good family meal, with lots of veg and a rich creamy sauce – it’s really filling. Quick and easy too and you can  double to serve many people or a crowd of kids, when crowds of kids exist again.

Wine Suggestion: This goes really well with a white that can cope with a rich, creamy dish.Keeping the Italian theme we’d suggest a good Verdicchio which tend to strike a nice balance between a fuller body, polyphenols (those white wine tannins that give texture and grip) and a nutty, saline freshness. The textures and the body make it work with the marscapone, ham and tomatoes especially well.

Farfalle with peas, mushrooms & ham – serves 4

  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • a small onion, finely sliced
  • 125g diced cooked ham
  • 50g frozen peas
  • 100g chestnut mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
  • 75g mascarpone cheese
  • 250g farfalle pasta
  • a small handful of chopped basil
  • grated Parmesan, to serve

Bring a very big pot of water to the boil and add lots of fine salt.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan and fry the onion for a few minutes over a medium heat. Add the ham, peas and mushrooms and keep cooking for about 5 minutes.

Add the chopped tomatoes, stir well and simmer gently for about 8 minutes, uncovered. Add the mascarpone, season well, then remove from the heat.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta in the boiling water until al dente, then drain and tip back into the pot. Pour the sauce over the pasta, then add the basil and stir together for about 30 seconds. Serve in warm bowls with Parmesan over the top.

(Original recipe from Pronto! by Gino D’Acampo, Kyle Books, 2014.)

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Smoked Ham, Cheese & Parsley Toasts

Posted in Food, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on 4 December 2020| 2 Comments »

If you like ham and parsley sauce, you will love this! May come in handy in a few weeks time.

Smoked ham, cheese & parsley toasts – serves 6

  • 30g butter
  • 30g plain flour
  • 225ml full-fat milk
  • 50g Cheddar cheese, grated, plus extra for grilling
  • 2 tsp Dijon mustard
  • a small bunch of chives, finely chopped
  • a small bunch of parsley, finely chopped
  • 6 thick slices of good-quality bread, buttered on both sides
  • 6 large slices of smoked ham (or regular ham if you like)

Heat the grill to medium.

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan, when it bubbles, add the flour and stir to combine. Cook for a minute or two , then gradually add the milk, stirring continually. Keep stirring until all the milk has been added, the sauce comes to the boil and starts to thicken. Add the cheese, mustard, chives and parsley. Stir for a few minutes, until the cheese has melted and the sauce is smooth, then season well and set aside.

Lightly toast the buttered bread on both sides and then put under the grill. When lightly toasted on both sides divide the ham between the toasts, then spoon over the thick sauce and scatter with a handful of finely grated cheese. Return to the grill and cook until the sauce is bubbling and turning golden. Serve on hot plates.

(Original recipe from Time by Gill Meller, Quadrille, 2018.)

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Croque Madame

Posted in Brunch, Cheese, Food, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on 10 June 2020| Leave a Comment »

Croque Madame

This is a cheat’s version of the French classic and makes a great brunch/lunch.

Croque Madame – serves 2

  • 4 large slices of sourdough
  • Dijon mustard
  • 100g grated gruyère
  • 4 slices thick-cut ham
  • butter
  • 4 tbsp crème fraîche
  • 2 eggs

Spread the sourdough with a thin layer of mustard on one side, then fill the sandwiches with half the gruyère and the ham. Spread the outside of the sandwiches with butter.

Heat a non-stick frying pan and fry the sandwiches on both sides until golden.

Mix the crème fraîche with the rest of the gruyère and spread over the top of the sandwiches. Put under a hot grill until the cheese bubbles and starts to brown.

Serve with a fried or poached egg on the top.

(Original recipe by Janine Ratcliffe in Olive Magazine, May 2015)

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