Need a wow of a brunch dish? This is it! Ham and cheese encased in crisp buttery puff pastry. A tart salad alongside goes well. And why not start with bellinis?
Ingredients
1 lb. puff pastry (See recipe in previous post.)
2 T Dijon mustard
¾ lb. good quality ham, cut into a ½-inch dice
½ lb. Gruyere cheese shredded on large holes of box grater
Egg wash made from I egg and 1 T water, beaten
Procedure
Cut 1 lb. piece of puff pastry in half. Roll out to fit a 10 X 15 baking sheet. Place parchment paper or a silicone mat on the baking sheet. Transfer pastry sheet to baking sheet. Spread mustard over sheet leaving a 1-inch border. Evenly spread ham over mustard, also leaving 1-inch border. Sprinkle cheese on top of ham.
Roll out the other piece of puff pastry to 10 X 15. Place on top of cheese layer. With a small sharp knife cut the edges straight. Press indentations around the edge with the tines of the back of a fork. Chill for at least 20 minutes.
Heat oven to 450 degrees. Take out pastry and brush with egg wash. Cut a few decorative slits to allow steam to escape. Place cold pastry in hot oven. This gives the pastry a sudden burst of heat giving it a good start to its rise. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown and puffed. Let cool briefly. Cut into squares and serve. Makes 6 servings.
Photo by Michael Kirigin
sweetpaprika 
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