Holiday Ham and Fondue Pastries

By draingal

Ingredients

• 1 sheet store-bought puff pastry (cold, but thawed)
• 1 large egg (beaten)
• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
• 1/2 pound ham (thinly sliced)
• 9 yolks from small chicken eggs
• 1 bulb fennel (fronds removed, 1/2-inch slices)
• 1 cup pitted green olives (preferably Castelvetrano)
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 pinch chili flakes
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup gruyere (shredded)
• 1 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano (grated)
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg (freshly grated)
• salt (to taste)

Details

Servings 1
Cooking time 40mins
Adapted from abc.go.com

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 425ºF. Lightly spray 2 baking sheets with cooking spray.
On a clean work surface, lay out puff pastry sheet and lightly roll out with a rolling pin. Using a knife, cut puff pastry sheet into 9 (3"x3") squares. Gently place squares of puff pastry on baking sheets. Using a paring knife, score a crust 1/2-inch from the edge, to make a square. Brush pastry boxes with beaten egg and sprinkle top with fresh thyme leaves. Place the chilled pastry in the oven to bake for 10 minutes until golden and puffed. Remove and set aside to cool to room temperature. Using a butter knife, gently remove the inner square of pastry, trying to keep it in tact. Set the tops to the side.
For the Fondue: set up a double boiler. Place a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add 2 inches of water. Place a tempered glass or metal bowl over the pot to fit, being careful that the water is not touching the bowl. Bring the water to a simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low. To the bowl, add the cream, Gruyere cheese, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and nutmeg. Stir to melt the cheese. Season to taste with salt.
To assemble, line each puff pastry box with 1 or 2 pieces of thinly sliced ham. Fill each box with a few tablespoons of fondue. Place an egg yolk in the middle of each box. Place back in the oven for 3-5 minutes.
Garnish with more freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano. Serve the Holiday Ham and Fondue Pastry Boxes with raw fennel slices and olives on the side.
For the Olives: in a medium bowl, add the olives, a drizzle of olive oil, 2 tablespoons reserved chopped fennel fronds and a pinch of chili flakes.