Name: Ireland’s Beloved Jambon
Yield: 12
Cuisine: Butter
Ingredients: Ingredients Checklist; 2 sheets puff pastry; For the roasted red onion; 2 red onions, cut into quarters, then sliced; splash of extra virgin olive oil; 1 sprig of thyme, picked; 1 small sprinkling of brown sugar; For the cheesy sauce; 25 g butter; 25 g plain flour; 250 ml full fat milk; 250 g cheese, grated (Templegall, Gubbeen, Coolea, a good creamery cheddar or bits and bobs from your fridge too.) Reserve a little to sprinkle.; pinch of nutmeg; pepper and sea salt to taste; 200 g of the best free-range ham you can get your hands on, cut into little cubes; 1 egg, beaten with a splash of milk

ChefJohn & Sally McKennaOccasionBreakfast, LunchDairy IngredientsButter, Cheese, Milk

Yields12 Servings

Recipe by Niamh Fox

This wonderful recipe is from ‘MILK’ by John and Sally McKenna produced in association with the National Dairy Council. ‘MILK’ is available in bookstores across Ireland and can be purchased online here.

Ingredients Checklist

2 sheets puff pastry

For the roasted red onion

2 red onions, cut into quarters, then sliced

splash of extra virgin olive oil

1 sprig of thyme, picked

1 small sprinkling of brown sugar

For the cheesy sauce

25 g butter

25 g plain flour

250 ml full fat milk

250 g cheese, grated (Templegall, Gubbeen, Coolea, a good creamery cheddar or bits and bobs from your fridge too.) Reserve a little to sprinkle.

pinch of nutmeg

pepper and sea salt to taste

200 g of the best free-range ham you can get your hands on, cut into little cubes

1 egg, beaten with a splash of milk

To make the caramelised onions

Mix together the onions, oil, seasoning and sprinkle with sugar.

Pop in an ovenproof casserole, set around 200°C for 30 minutes, then mix and cover and continue to cook for 15 minutes.

Allow to cool.

To make the cheesy sauce

Melt butter at low heat

Stir in the flour and mix well until a dough starts to form

Gradually pour in the milk, mixing really well so that there are no lumps in the sauce

Once all the milk has been added, add the grated cheeses and a pinch of nutmeg, pepper and salt

Mix well until you get a thick cheese sauce

Add the finely cubed ham to the sauce

Allow the mixture to cool

To assemble the jambon

Roll out the pastry and cut each sheet into 6 squares

Put a scoop of the cheese mixture in the centre of each square and a little of the caramelized onion, on top

Fold the corners to the centre and make sure they overlap (to avoid the ham and cheese from pouring out of the pastry)

Pinch together the edges where needed

Brush the egg mix over the pastry and sprinkle the final bit of cheese on top, and repeat for the other squares.

Place on oven tray and bake at 200°C for 15-20 minutes or until golden-brown.

OccasionBreakfast, LunchDairy IngredientsButter, Cheese, Milk

Ingredients