Baked Ham & Leeks Au Gratin

Neven says: "Of course you could use a cured Parma-type ham in this recipe or replace the Cheddar with Gruyere which also has excellent melting properties."

Ingredients:

• 8 small leeks, well trimmed
• 16 thin slices cooked ham
• butter, for greasing
• 150g (5oz) mature Cheddar cheese, grated
• 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 6 tbsp Glenisk Organic Crème Fraiche
• Crusty French bread, to serve

Method: 

Preheat the oven to 200C (400F), Gas mark 6. Blanch the leeks in a pan of boiling salted water for 3-4 minutes until just tender. Drain and quickly refresh under cold running water to stop them from cooking any further, then drain well and pat dry on kitchen paper. Wrap each leek in two slices of the ham and arrange them in a buttered baking dish. Place the Cheddar in a bowl and stir in the Dijon mustard and crème fraiche until well combined. Season to taste. Spread over the leeks and bake for 15-20 minutes until bubbling and golden brown. Serve at once straight to the table with plenty of crusty bread to mop up all of those delicious juices.

Serves:

4

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