Donal Skehan’s festive ham and cheese wreath

Updated / Sunday, 18 Dec 2022 20:00

Donal’s festive ham and cheese wreath with sprout and cranberry salad

Ingredients

Serves: 6-8
Time: 1 hour

• 400g all-butter puff pastry (defrosted or chilled)
• 2 tbsp dijon mustard
• 1 x 100g block mozzarella, coarsely grated
• 200g Gruyère, coarsely grated
• 250g thinly sliced smoked ham/ Christmas ham
• Large handful chives, finely chopped
• 1 large free range egg, beaten
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds
• Jar of cranberry sauce or tomato relish, to dip

For the salad:

• 500g Brussels sprouts, roots and outer leaves trimmed
• 125g dried cranberries
• 75g skinless toasted almonds, chopped
• 50g parmesan cheese, shaved or grated

For the dressing:

• 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 6 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, grated
• 2 tsp honey
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. Roll out the block of puff pastry into a large rectangle, measuring roughly 45 cm x 25cm, onto a lightly floured worktop. Keep your puff pastry in the fridge until just before you’re ready to use it.
2. With the long edge of the puff pastry closest to you, begin to spread the Dijon mustard all over, leaving a 2cm gap along the long edge that is furthest away from you.
3. Sprinkle over the mozzarella and gruyere cheeses. Season with black pepper before layering the ham over the cheese, finishing with a sprinkle of the chives.
4. Now, starting from the long edge closest to you, roll the pastry up tightly, like a swiss roll. Egg wash the 2cm gap you left and finally roll everything together, leaving the roll seam side down.
5. Transfer the roll to a lined baking tray and make cuts through the pastry, about 2cm apart, without slicing the whole way through. You should leave the bottom layer of the pastry intact so that all the rounds stay connected when you bend them into a wreath shape.
6. Now, bring the 2 ends together to form a wreath and slightly twist each pastry wheel to reveal the roll. Egg wash the pastry and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
7. Transfer to an…

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