Ham Baked in Double Flaky Pastry Recipe

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Ham Baked in Double Flaky Pastry

From Dorothy McNett's Recipe Book at www.dorothymcnett.com. This was created so that a busy person cooking at home can still have time to make a great tasting and flaky pastry for using as a wrapper rather than spending up to 3 days making tradition homemade puff pastry or resorting to the frozen puff pastry doughs that are not as "natural" in ingredients. This is not "puffy" but is very flaky!

1 bullet shaped fully cooked ham, about 2-4 pounds
1-2 tablespoons savory jam or chutney

2 cups all purpose unbleached flour
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/3 cup very cold water

2 tablespoons cold butter, very thinly sliced or shaved
1 egg, well beaten

Decide how you want the finished baked ham to look like...an Easter egg, or a ball, or a frog, or use your imagination regarding how the chunk of ham looks. Trim it as desired, removing any crusty and fatty parts. With the tip of a small sharp knife, make several slits around the surface of the ham and brush on the savory jam or chutney, forcing it into the slits as much as possible. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In food processor with steel chopping blade in place, whirl the flour with the salt and then add the 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespons very cold butter. Pulse just to cut the butter into the flour, leaving pieces about the size of peas. Add the cold water all at once and process just until the dough wants to form a ball. Remove from processor and shape it into a ball but do not knead it or overwork it. Cut it in half.

On a lightly floured pastry cloth, roll out one half to about 1/8 inch thickness but not any thinner than that. Carefully lift it off of the cloth and set it aside on a clean and dry surface. Repeat rolling out the second half. Now take the very thinly sliced very cold butter pieces and place in a single layer all over it. Gently place the first half over this (like a sandwich) and with your rolling pin very gently but firmly roll them together, smashing the butter slices but not letting them poke through the dough. Place the dough on a silicone or parchment baking sheet with sides. Place the ham on the crust, cutting and pinching to make it fit and to cover all of the ham. Use the scraps to decorate your creation...brushing with the egg to help the decorations stay in place.



Put it into the oven, turn down the heat to 375 degrees and bake 30-45 minutes or until nicely browned, using about 12-15 minutes per pound of ham as a timing guide.

Recipe created 2008-03-16.