At Your Table Winning Recipe

Country Ham and Roquefort Turnovers      

My family has always enjoyed country ham and cheese wrapped in puff pastry.  A cousin from Virginia suggested the use of Roquefort.
You may substitute any good blue cheese if you wish.

Ingredients
1 sheet puff pastry rolled to 12" x 12" and cut into 4 squares 6" x 6"
5 tbsp butter at room temperature
1 cup leeks sliced 1/8" thick
4oz Roquefort cheese at room temperature
4oz cream cheese at room temperature
2 tbsp heavy cream
1 egg lightly beaten for the mixture
1 egg lightly beaten to seal the pastry
salt, pepper and cayenne for seasoning
8oz country ham trimmed of most fat and diced

Preparation
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Melt 3 tbsp butter in a medium heat skillet, cook the leaks until soft, remove from heat, and set aside.

In a medium bowl, cream the remaining butter and cheeses together.
Beat in the cream and 1 egg until smooth.
Season the mixture to taste.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Use one-quarter of each remaining ingredient per turnover.
Spread the leeks onto each pastry square to within about ¾” of the edge.
Top the leeks with the diced ham.
Spoon the cheese and egg mixture on top.
The entire layer should be no more that ¾” thick.
Brush the edges of each pastry with the second egg .
Fold the corners of the pastry to the center, covering the filling, and gently pressing the sides of the pastry together.
Turnover onto the baking sheet with the folds on the bottom.

Bake in 400º oven until golden brown (@ 20 minutes).

Linda Simmons
Lee’s Summit, MO