Ham and ²µ°ù³Ü²âè°ù±ð wreath
Donal's easy, gooey ham and ²µ°ù³Ü²âè°ù±ð tear-and-share centrepiece is a quick win for everyone to dig into on Boxing Day.
Ingredients
For the wreath
- plain flour, to dust
- 400g/14oz pack ready-made all-butter puff pastry, chilled
- 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 100g/3½oz firm mozzarella in a block, coarsely grated
- 200g/7oz ²µ°ù³Ü²âè°ù±ð, coarsely grated
- 250g/9oz cooked smoked ham or Christmas ham, thinly sliced
- large handful fresh chives, finely chopped
- 1 large free-range egg, beaten
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds
To serve
- cranberry sauce or cranberry relish
Method
Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6 and line a baking tray with greaseproof paper.
Dust a work surface lightly with flour, then use a rolling pin to roll out the block of pastry into a large rectangle measuring roughly 45x25cm/18x10in.
With the long edge of the puff pastry closest to you, spread the Dijon mustard all over, leaving a 2cm/¾in gap along the long edge that is furthest away from you.
Sprinkle over the mozzarella and ²µ°ù³Ü²âè°ù±ð. Season with black pepper before layering the ham over the cheese and finishing with the chopped chives.
Starting from the long edge closest to you, roll the pastry up tightly, like a Swiss roll. Brush the beaten egg along the 2cm/¾in gap you left before you finish rolling, to seal the seam.
Transfer the roll, seam side down, to the lined baking tray and use a sharp knife to make cuts through the roll, about 2cm/¾in apart, leaving the bottom layer of pastry intact so that all the rounds stay connected.
Bring the two ends of the roll together to form a wreath and slightly twist each pastry wheel to reveal the roll. Brush the pastry with the remaining egg and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Bake for 20–25 minutes until golden brown and bubbling.
Once the wreath is baked, slide onto a large serving plate and put a small bowl of cranberry sauce or relish in the middle for dipping.
Recipe Tips
You could make this with gluten-free puff pastry and gluten-free flour. Just make sure your mustard is also gluten-free.