CHEF and blogger Paul James writes for our paper.
I have made two dishes today – both highlighting regional cheeses.
For the first, I used a lovely Double Gloucester which was slightly savoury and firm – perfect for my ‘Gammon Rarebit’
With the second, I wanted a cheese I could use to make a flavoured butter, so it could gently melt over my gammon steak. For that one, I opted for a creamy Lancashire cheese.
Now you are probably wondering why I’ve chosen gammon and cheese?
It goes back to when I was a young lad and my mum, who has sadly passed away now, used to work as the stores manager in the local hospital.
I’m sure I have covered this story in my latest book ‘The Grandfather, my grandad is the best chef in the world’ so apologies if you’ve heard or read the story before.
Occasionally a spare block of cheese or a couple of tins of ham may have been accidentally over-ordered.
Before anyone criticises this about shortages in the NHS, remember this was around 40 to 45 years ago so don’t look on us to harshly…
When I say block of cheese, I mean a block of cheese, the ones you see in the supermarket – it reminded me of my dad cutting slices of ham from the tin, then topping the ham with sliced tomatoes and melting the cheese under the grill, then he added copious amounts of white pepper.
My dad, God bless him, travelled the world for the Royal Navy, but I’m sure he never came across a dish that had meat with melted cheese on top such as Parmigiana.
I’ve slightly upgraded my dad’s version of ‘stolen ham parmigiana’ to recreate a ‘Gammon rarebit’.
Hope you enjoy both dishes.
Visit facebook.com/recipesfrommytravels for more on Paul’s blog and recipes.
Ingredients – both dishes
2 unsmoked gammon Steaks
100g Mild Gloucester cheese grated
1 small Onion, finely diced
1 egg beaten
1tsp English Mustard
1tsp Worcestershire sauce
1tsp of oil
For the butter
100g Unsalted butter, softened
60g Red Onion finely chopped
2tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
60g finely grated Lancashire mild cheese.
Salt and pepper
1 egg
Gammon with a caramelised onion and balsamic vinegar Lancashire Cheese butter
Method for the butter
1. Fry the red onion in a little butter and then add the balsamic vinegar and reduce. In a bowl add the grated cheese and remaining butter.
2. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper and mix well.
3. Place the mixture into cling film or tin foil and roll it into a sausage shape.
4. Once it is firm, place it in the fridge or freezer.
5. Once the butter has firmed enough to cut, remove it from the fridge/freezer, slice into rounds and place on top of the gammon steak and pop under the grill for a minute or so until it melts beautifully over the steak.
6. Serve with a lovely a fried egg.
Gammon Rarebit with green beans
Method
1. Snip your gammon steaks for both dishes across the fat of the gammon, this will stop it from curling up when you are cooking them.
2. Massage the oil into the gammon steaks and season with salt and pepper.
3. Heat up your griddle pan or frying pan until hot, then add the steaks.
4. Cook on either side for about six to eight minutes depending on the size -until thoroughly cooked. Put to one side on a warm plate.
5. In a bowl mix the cheese, onion, egg, mustard and Worcestershire sauce, then gently spoon the rarebit mixture on top of the gammon and grill for 5 minutes or until the cheese mixture starts bubbling.
6. Serve with with some green beans.
Paul’s book – The Grandfather, my grandad is the best chef in the world
Anyone interested in purchasing a copy of Paul James’ ‘The Grandfather, my grandad is the best chef in the world’ can buy it here on Amazon.
For a signed copy, email Paul at [email protected] for more information.
Paul’s ‘Corfu Odyssey’ is due to be released in the new year.
Go to https://www.facebook.com/Rfmtbusinessdirectory for more on Recipes From My Travels’ business directory.
