IRELAND'S BELOVED JAMBON

• porsi: 12

Bahan-bahan

2 sheets puff pastry

For the roasted red onion:

2 red onions, cut into quarters, then sliced

splash of extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper

Sprig of thyme, picked

Small sprinkling of brown sugar

For the cheesy sauce:

25g butter

25g plain flour

250mI full fat milk

250g cheese, grated (e.g. Templegall,

Gubbeen, Coolea, a good creamery

Cheddar or bits and bobs from your

fridge too), plus extra to sprinkle

Pinch of nutmeg

Sea salt and pepper to taste

200g of the best free-range ham you can get

your hands on, cut into little cubes

1 egg, beaten with a splash of milk

Petunjuk

1 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.

2 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, then allow RECIPE BY NIAMH FOX the mixture to cool.

3 To assemble the jambon: roll out the pastry, and cut each sheet into 6 squares.

4 Put a scoop of the cheese mixture in the centre of each square and a little of the caramelised 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.

5 Place on oven tray and bake at 200°C/180°C fan/gas mark 6 for 15-20 minutes or until golden-brown.