Jambons (Irish Ham and Cheese Pastries)

Ingredients:

• 20 g of butter (1.5 tablespoons)
• 15 g of flour (1.5 tablespoons)
• 180 ml of milk (3/4 cups)
• 100 g of cheese, grated (3 ½ oz)
• 100 g of cooked ham, finely diced (3 ½ oz)
• 2 sheets of puff pastery
• 1 egg, beaten (optional)
• milk (optional)

Instructions:

1. If using frozen puff pastry sheets, defrost at room temperature.
2. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over a medium heat, then stir in the flour and whisk to combine. Cook over a medium heat for 3-4 minutes, whisking all the time.
3. Slowly add the milk, a little at a time, whisking in between each addition. When all the milk has been added, cook for 5 minutes, until the sauce is thick.
4. Take off the heat and stir in the grated cheese, then leave to one side for 15-20 minutes to cool.
5. Preheat the oven to 180˚C fan / 200˚C / 356˚F convection / 392˚F.
6. Line two baking sheets with baking paper / parchment.
7. Take one defrosted sheet of puff pastry and with a cut into 9 equal sized squares.
8. Stir the chopped ham into the cooled sauce.
9. Place a teaspoonful of the ham and cheese sauce in the centre of each of the small squares of puff pastry.
10. Brush the pastry with either the beaten egg or some milk, brushing all the edges of each square.
11. Take two diagonal / opposite corners of one square of pastry and bring them to the centre, then bring the other two opposite corners to the centre, pinching in the middle. You don't need to seal all the edges, just the middle point.
12. Place on a baking sheet then repeat with the other 8 squares.
13. Brush the tops of each square with beaten egg / milk.
14. Repeat with the other sheet of puff pastry and other half of the sauce.
15. Place the filled squares in to the preheated oven and bake for 18-20 minutes until golden.
16. Leave to cool on the tin for a couple of minutes before serving, as the centres are hot.
17. Store in the fridge for up to 2 days.

Comments:

Makes 18 pastries

Puff pastry – I use frozen puff pastry sheets as that is what is available in Australia, however you can use ready rolled sheets or Jus roll puff pastry blocks. Each pastry sheet is approx. 160g so you will need 320g puff pastry if you are using a block of puff pastry.
Ham – shredded cooked ham or finely chopped slice ham. Leftover Christmas ham or gammon would be great in these too!
Cheese – cheddar or tasty cheese, grated. Or Emmental cheese is delicious if you have some.
Flour – plain flour.
Butter – unsalted butter, as the ham and cheese are both pretty salty.
Milk – I use full fat cows milk but you can use skimmed / half fat milk to make the sauce.
Egg – to seal the pastries and make them lovely and shiny and golden, this is optional.
Make sure the cheese sauce is cold before you place in the pastry squares. If it is warm it will begin to melt the pastry and you can end up with a soggy mess that is hard to work with.
Preheat the oven before you place the ham parcels in to bake – a hot oven gives crispier pastry and helps prevent the filling leaking…
Talking of which…the filling can leak a little, which is fine for a family gathering – the edges get crispy and golden and delicious. If you want them to be neat then you can simply cut off the any of the leaked sauce with a sharp knife to make neater parcels.

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