recently I cooked gammon for the first time – it didnt go so well

i dont know what the problem was – but it just wasnt as good as Mum & Dads usual offerings – and I couldn’t even bring myself to eat it up in sandwiches as planned 🙁

but thankfully, something else I had been planning to do, came to rescue the sad little gammon – he was going to become pie!

Ham, Leek & Potato Pie

2 tbsp of butter

1 onion finely chopped

2 leeks finely sliced

1 large potato cut into small cubes

2 tbsp of plain flour

300ml of ham stock ( lovely to have fresh from the pot of said sad gammon )

100ml of creme fraiche

3 tsp wholegrain mustard

200g cooked ham

1 block of shortcrust pastry ( or make your own if you like 🙂 )

1 egg ( for glazing )

 start off with a hot pan – and pop in your butter

then add the onions

and leeks

cook for 5 mins – before realising you’re a plonker & need a pan with a lid for the next stage ( opps )

move over into saucepan! ( hopefully you wont make this mistake now I have for you! )

turn down to a medium heat – add the cubed potato & cover – cook for 10 mins

turn the heat back up to high – stir through the flour & add the ham stock

it will start to thicken up after a minute or two – then remove the pan from the heat

add the mustard….

creme fraiche

and ham! ( the ham / gammon is starting to look better already! )

mix through, and season to taste!

then leave to cool ( if possible – not a disaster if you dont have the time! )

then spoon into your pie dishes

i couldnt resist making an ickle bickle heart one in one of these adorable pots M bought me for Christmas – but it wouldnt even feed one! so a big le creuset had to be dragged outta the cupboard too!

i didnt but a base in the pie – but next time i probably would!

heat the oven t0 200c

roll the pastry out to roughly the thickness of a £1 piece

place on top of your dish and press down hard with thumb around the edges – trim around edges with a sharp knife

whisk your egg

and use to glaze your pies!

cut a little cross in the middle to let the steam out 😀

pop into the oven – but keep an eye!

25mins should do the job – but dont leave too brown too much!

and drag the little chaps outta the oven!

voila – two lovely pies!

because of the potatoes inside, this pie is lovely served alone!

but some green beans would make a lovely accompaniment!

mmmmmmmmm – well enjoyed 🙂

( still lovingly looking at the little heart )