This is such a delicious way to use up ham – it’s rich, certainly, but the apple offers bright contrast to the cream and salty meat. You could serve this as a side dish but I think it’s a main meal, a centrepiece all on its own.
Timings
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 50 minutes
Serves
4
Ingredients
- 400ml single cream
- 1 garlic clove, flattened with the side of a knife
- 2 sprigs of thyme
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 400g Savoy or sweetheart cabbage leaves, sliced
- 40g dried breadcrumbs
- 15g Parmesan, finely grated
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp butter, plus extra for greasing
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 large apple
- 100g cooked ham, chopped
- 40g strong cheddar, grated
Method
- Put the cream, garlic and thyme in a small pan and very gently simmer for 8 minutes.
- Take the pan off the heat and stir in the mustard. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, blanch the cabbage in boiling salted water for 3 minutes. Drain and reserve a cup of the cooking water.
- When cool enough to handle, squeeze out any excess water.
- Mix together the breadcrumbs, Parmesan and 1 tbsp of the olive oil. Set aside.
- In a large frying pan, melt the butter and the rest of the oil. Gently fry the onion with a pinch of salt until soft and translucent, about 8 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas mark 6 and butter a 2-litre baking dish.
- Peel, core and chop the apple into small chunks.
- Add the apple and cabbage to the onion pan and stir to combine. Fry for a minute or so, then take the pan off the heat and mix in the ham and cheddar.
- If the cream has thickened too much to pour easily, add a splash or two of the reserved cabbage water to loosen – it should still be the consistency of single cream.
- Remove the thyme and garlic, then stir the cream into the cabbage mixture. Spoon into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle over the prepared breadcrumbs.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden and bubbling.
Recipe from Second Helpings by Sue Quinn (Quadrille, £18.99)