So, what do you make after you can't even look at another ham sandwich? I found this recipe in Delia Smith's online site for "Ham Hash Cakes with Parsley Sauce". It's a snap to make. Quintessential good British food and in a funny way an homage to my mother's cooking. She was the queen of creative white sauce and knew a thing or two about making wonderful leftovers. A useful skill on a very limited budget.
The surprise here is the parsley sauce which is very light, almost fluffy.
HAM HASH CAKES WITH PARSLEY SAUCE
- 12 ounces cooked ham, cut into chunks
- Freshly Ground black pepper
- 1 onion, quartered
- 8 ounces (cooked weight), boiled potatoes
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon chopped gherkins (I used some pickle relish)
- 1 teaspoon chopped parsley
- 2 ounces fine breadcrumbs
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon oil
For the Parsley Sauce
- 2 cups milk
- 1 1/2 ounces butter
- 3/4 ounce flour
- 3 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Place ham, onion, potatoes, egg and parsley in the bowl of the food processor and blend until the ham is finely chopped.
Transfer the mixture to a bowl, stir in the chopped gherkins and taste and season with freshly ground black pepper. Divide the mixture into eight equal portions, shape them into rounds and press a light coating of breadcrumbs over each one. Chill the hash cakes in the fridge until need. To cook them, melt the butter with the oil in a frying pan and fry the cakes till golden and crisp--which will take about 5-8 minutes on each side.
To make the parsley sauce, place the milk, butter and flour in a saucepan and whisk them over the heat until smooth and thickened. Cook for 5 minutes before adding the parsley and lemon juice and season to taste.
If you don't want to make the sauce, these go very well with mustard or chutney.
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