Ham and Cheese Fillo Tourte

Cook Time 1 hour

Servings 6

Ingredients

8 sheets of thick fillo pastry
50g butter + 20g extra of melted butter
50g plain flour
700ml milk
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
½ tsp nutmeg
1 tbsp creme fraiche
2 large handfuls of freshly grated Gruyere
1 egg yolk
6-10 slices of ham off the bone
Witlof, radicchio and chervil to serve.

Method

Preheat the oven to 190°C. Grease a 20-23 cm (approx.) pie dish with a little butter.

In a saucepan, melt 50g of butter and add the flour stirring thoroughly to obtain a smooth paste.

Take the pan off the heat and with a wooden spoon add half of the milk bit by bit to avoid lumps. Return to the heat and add the rest of the milk and gently whisk over a medium to high heat for 3 – 4 minutes or until the mixture becomes very thick. Season with salt, pepper, mustard, nutmeg, add the cheese and creme fraiche and then turn the heat off. Mix in an egg yolk.

Brush a piece of fillo with a little of the melted 20g of butter and then drape into the pie dish allowing the remaining fillo to overhang. Repeat with the 5 layers of fillo so the base of the dish is covered. Add the béchamel and then the layer the ham on top. Cover with the remaining fillo and then fold over the over-hanging fillo to seal the pie. Brush with extra butter and then bake in the oven for 30 – 35 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before removing. Serve with a crispy bitter green salad.