Featured Recipe
Layered Ham Rocket Sandwich
By Kate
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A stacked sandwich with minced ham blended with dried cherries, peppery rocket pesto with toasted pumpkin seeds, tart pickled golden beets, and fluffy whipped cream cheese. Five large bread slices layered with thin cucumber ribbons and fresh herbs. Refrigerate several hours so flavors meld and bread soaks just right. Serves eight to ten without nuts. Adapt ingredients for pantry or seasonal availability. Focus on texture contrasts and balanced acidity for an elevated bite.
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Prep:
Cook:
0 min
Total:
Serves:
8 to 10 servings
sandwich
gourmet
party food
appetizers
Introduction
Ham stacked with dried cherries. Sharp grainy mustard blending into silky mayo. Rocket unleashing peppery green bursts tangled with toasted pumpkin seeds and lemon zest. Bright golden beets, tangy and crisp. Cream cheese whipped light, airy like clouds against denser bread layers. Bread—soft, square, crust-free—holding it all. Cucumber ribbons whisper freshness and crunch. Fresh garden herbs scattered for final flourish. Chill hours—patience pays; flavors bind, bread scars the cream. Touch of Espelette heat and fleur de sel sparkle top it off. No nuts but all layered complexity. Good for a crowd, versatile, classically rustic.
Ingredients
Ham Salad
- 240 g cubed cooked ham, chopped coarse, not pureed (sub cooked turkey)
- 65 g dried cherries finely chopped (replace cranberries)
- 50 ml grainy mustard
- 50 ml mayonnaise
- 115 g fresh rocket leaves, washed and stemmed (about 5 cups)
- 65 g toasted pumpkin seeds
- 2 lemons zest finely grated
- 75 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 200 g cooked peeled golden beets (2 small-medium)
- 10 ml white wine vinegar
- 1 ml sugar
- 100 g cream cheese softened
- 50 ml heavy cream whipped to soft peaks
- 5 slices crustless white sandwich bread about 22 cm wide
- 3 small Lebanese cucumbers peeled in thin long ribbons
- Mixed fresh herbs: tarragon, chervil, mint, chive blossoms
- Pinch Espelette chili powder
- Fleur de sel
Rocket Pesto
Pickled Golden Beets
Whipped Cream Cheese
Assembly
About the ingredients
Ham can be replaced with cooked turkey breast or roast chicken—choose a mildly flavored cooked protein chopped coarse enough to provide some bite. Swap dried cherries for chopped dried apricots or even raisins if necessary. Grainy mustard adds texture and bite; Dijon works but less rustic—adjust accordingly. For pumpkin seeds, substitute toasted sunflower seeds or walnuts finely chopped (if nuts allowed). Golden beets replaced by pickled red beets or even cooked roasted carrots marinated briefly in vinegar. Whipped cream cheese needs cream 35% minimum fat; half and half or sour cream won’t whip properly. Bread—slices should be sturdy but soft, no crust for neat layering, Tramezzini style. Lebanese cucumbers, thin ribbons from peeled skin, can be replaced with regular English cucumber but remove seeds to avoid soggy bites. Herbs are flexible—any fresh tender herbs available will add aroma.
Method
Ham Salad
- Pulse ham in food processor briefly to finely chop; avoid turning to paste. Transfer to bowl. Stir in chopped dried cherries, grainy mustard, and mayonnaise. Season lightly with salt and fresh black pepper. Cover and refrigerate. Save food processor blade and bowl clean for next step.
- Set aside small rocket leaves for garnish. Process remaining rocket with toasted pumpkin seeds and lemon zest together until roughly chopped but still textural. With processor running, drizzle olive oil slowly to combine. Aim for creamy yet grainy look. Salt and pepper to taste. Spoon into clean bowl and chill.
- Roughly chop beets in food processor with vinegar and sugar. Just pulse a few times; keep coarse pieces. Drain excess liquid if needed before assembly. Season with slight salt. Refrigerate covered.
- Using electric mixer, whip cream cheese until smooth. Add heavy cream a little at a time, beat until fluffy peaks form that hold shape but still pliable. Add pinch of salt. Cover and keep cool.
- Use a sharp serrated knife for bread slices, cut horizontally if needed but keep slices intact. On first slice, spread 25 ml pesto. Evenly scatter half of the ham salad over pesto. On second slice, spread 25 ml pesto and flip pesto side down onto ham mix. Press lightly but don’t squish. Top that slice with 25 ml whipped cream cheese mixture. Arrange cucumber ribbons evenly, leaving some for garnish later.
- On third slice, spread 25 ml whipped cream cheese, place it over cucumber side down. Press gently. Spread 40 ml pesto on top. Evenly pile pickled golden beets. On fourth slice, spread 40 ml pesto and flip pesto side down on beets. Light press to compact. Spread 25 ml pesto on this slice. Add remaining ham salad on top. Cover with last bread slice spread with leftover pesto. Press lightly to seal layers.
- Wrap sandwich tightly in plastic wrap, pressing sides to prevent drying, chill minimum 4 hours or overnight. This resting step is key for melding flavors and softening bread. Before serving, unwrap, spread remaining whipped cream cheese on top. Decorate with cucumber ribbons, reserved rocket leaves, fresh herbs. Sprinkle Espelette chili and fleur de sel for contrast.
- Slice with serrated knife using gentle sawing motion. Wipe blade between cuts to keep edges neat. Serve chilled or just slightly cool.
Rocket Pesto
Pickled Golden Beets
Whipped Cream Cheese
Assembly
Technique Tips
Chopping ham the right size matters—too fine and you lose texture, too coarse and sandwich feels chunky and unstable. Use pulsing motion on processor; avoid long continuous chopping. Rocket pesto—do not overblend or it turns into green paste losing body. Pour oil slowly, stopping when desired texture is reached. Pickled beets—keep pieces chunky for mouthfeel, drain excess vinegar liquid before assembling to avoid soggy bread. Whipping cream cheese with cream needs cold ingredients and proper timing; soft peaks for spreadability not stiff peaks that’ll crack bread. Assembly demands attention to spread thickness and order. Press sandwich layers just enough to stick; over-press, bread squashes. Wrapping tight and chilling sets shape and flavor; this is non-negotiable. Use serrated knife with sawing motion, clean blade after each cut for clean slices. Garnish last minute to maintain fresh appearance. If sandwich seems too moist, add thin sheet of lettuce under wet ingredients to catch moisture. Keep cold until serving to maintain structure and freshness.
Chef's Notes
- 💡 Chop ham coarse. Don’t puree; pulse briefly. That texture matters. Too fine it gets mushy. A balance—chunk yet spreadable. Save the food processor for future steps.
- 💡 Rocket pesto—keep it green not paste. Roughly chopped, creamy but grainy. Pour olive oil slow. Adjust till it's just right. Not too oily, not too dry.
- 💡 Pickling beets—chunky texture adds to mouthfeel. Chop roughly, don’t liquefy. Check for excess liquid before layering. Too wet? Soggy bread—avoid that.
- 💡 Whipping cream cheese needs cold cream and solid technique. Soft peaks are must but avoid stiff ones. That changes spreadability. Timing counts here.
- 💡 Layer assembly—don't skimp on thickness. Each spread needs attention. Too much pressure squashes layers. Let everything meld without turning it into mush.
