I am feeling a little guilty. Guilty for many things, but this blog isn't going to turn into a personal confessional anytime soon. No, what I am feeling guilty about is that I have not shared any recipes other than baked goods this month. We all know that one cannot live on or serve only baked goods alone. Well maybe for a short period of time one can, but not without consequences (particularly on one's waist and thighs). So I thought that with so many opportunities for entertaining and even tailgating in the weeks ahead, maybe I would share the new Deviled Ham recipe I found and tried this past weekend. It was OMG wickedly delicious and definitely a nice change of pace to the usual suspect appetizers served during the cocktail hour.
So what exactly is deviled ham and how is it different from ham salad? The simple answer is that deviled ham is flavored with spices, like mustard, hot sauce and even cayenne pepper. Ham salad is generally flavored with pickles and can be a little sweeter. In other words, one is the evil and the other is the good version of a finely chopped ham spread. As much as I like them both, for me the sweeter ham salad works better on a sandwich for lunch while the deviled ham is a better prelude to dinner, a perfect pairing with a platter of cheeses, and goes perfect with either beer or wine. It might be fair to say that deviled ham is the trifecta of ham spreads! And if that isn't enough it is sinfully addictive (okay you knew that was coming at some point).
In spite of adding one tablespoon of hot sauce, the deviled ham really wasn't that 'hot'. The hot sauce added just the right amount of complexity and combined with the whole grain dijon mustard made for more hearty ham spread.
This is a perfect recipe to make with leftover ham, however, there is no need to worry because it can easily be made with a wedge of a fully cooked ham found in the grocery store. And it that isn't available, then you could use a high quality ham found in the deli (like Boar's Head).
The recipe in Bon Appetit called for the use of a cured, smoked and aged country ham. Because that was not available, I use a fully cooked ham (Leily's Boneless Ham) found in meat section of the grocery store where you find ham steaks and Canadian bacon. This recipe calls for ham that has already been cooked, so look carefully at the labels when you deciding on which ham to buy. Remember, you want a fully cooked ham for this recipe.
Once the ham is coarsely chopped, it is pulsed in a food processor until finely chopped. You will still be able to see small pieces of ham. Remember, don't over process as you do not want a ham paste.
The finely chopped ham is transferred to a medium sized bowl. The cream cheese, mayonnaise, mustard and hot sauce and mixed until well blended.
A freshly chopped scallion (aka green onion) and two tablespoons of freshly chopped parsley are then folded in. For me the right amount of seasoning was 3/8 teaspoon of Kosher salt and 1/8 teaspoon of finely ground pepper.
I served the Deviled Ham with sliced baguettes, however, you can use rye bread, pumpernickel, crackers, or lightly toasted baquettes. It will not matter what you decide to use because your family and friends won't remember what they put it on, they will only remember how it tasted. I am thinking that this Deviled Ham will become one of the new go-to recipes when having company as it is so easy to put together, different enough from the usual cocktail hour fare, and perfect to wet everyone's appetites for dinner.
Deviled Ham (slight adapation of the Deviled Ham recipe printed in the October 2013 Bon Appetit)
Ingredients
8 ounces of fully cooked ham (used Leidy's Boneless Ham), coarsely chopped (if a cured, smoked Country Ham is available, recommend using)
4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup mayonnaise (recommend Hellman's mayonnaise)
1 Tablespoon hot sauce (used and recommend Cholula Hot Sauce)
2 teaspoons whole grain Dijon mustard (used Maille)
1 scallion thinly sliced
2 Tablespoons fresh flat leaf parsley chopped
3/8 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon finely ground pepper
Baguettes, rye bread, pumpernickel or crackers for serving
Directions
1. Place coarsely chopped ham in food processor and pulse until finely chopped (you will still see small pieces of the ham).
2. Transfer finely chopped ham to a medium sized bowl and stirlin cream cheese, hot sauce, and whole grain mustard. Mix until well combined.
3. Fold in chopped scallion and parsley.
4. Stir in salt and pepper.
5. Serve immediately or chill for several hours or overnight. Serve with freshly sliced baguettes or rye bread or on lightly grilled baguettes.
There is something about Thanksgiving that makes it my favorite holiday. The ability to just gather with family and friends around food that makes the day so much more relaxing and comfortable (in spite of the hours spent on cooking and the early morning wake up to put the turkey in oven). Yes, it relaxing as long as everyone you invite to Thanksgiving dinner gets along with one another and no one starts talking about Christmas.
Because with Thanksgiving there is no pressure for gifts and presents (or more to the point getting the perfect gifts or presents); no feeling guilt over forgetting a gift for someone; and no mess to clean up other than the dishes. Last Thanksgiving we spent the holiday in Colorado. My sister and I managed to put together a complete meal using the utensils found in the house we rented (well I did pack my knives in my checked suitcase) and shopping in stores unfamiliar to us. If you asked everyone in my family, I think they would say this little more laid back Thanksgiving was one of their favorites. This year with a nephew in college in Colorado and a niece in college in Boston we all won't be together (collegiate swimming conflicts) as a family. But regardless of how or where we spend Thanksgiving this year, I am certain of two things. It will be memorable and there will be Deviled Ham as one of the appetizers (unless of course everyone is on Deviled Ham overload by then).
