This is a bit different, very ‘on-trend’ because of the jelly, positively the ‘last thing, dahling’ and super impressive.

Instead of serving this jellied ham with the creamy and sharp, cheat’s version of gribiche sauce you could serve it with piccalilli sauce.

The croutons are essential – somehow you need the crunchiness of them to balance the jelly.

Recipe for sparkling jellied ham with creamy and sharp pickled cucumber sauce

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp mushroom ketchup
• 240 ml/½ pint/1 cup of water
• 4 leaves of gelatine
• About six spring onions
• 400g/14 oz piece of ham (you could use ham hock off the bone but this looks more impressive with sharp cubes. For an alternative recipe using ham hock off the bone follow this link). Obviously take off the fat and rind first.
• 1 x cornichon
• 25g/1 oz bunch of parsley
• 2 tbsps capers (not the type in brine – if in brine rinse and soak in milk for 30 minutes, then rinse)
• 120ml/½ cup thick Greek yoghurt, or mayonnaise
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• handful of croutons – homemade is best, go here for how to make them

Method

1. Soak the gelatine in a bath of cold, iced water
2. Meanwhile boil the water and add the mushroom ketchup
3. Take the gelatine leaves out of their cold bath, and squeeze out. Add to the hot mushroom stock. Stir to dissolve. Put somewhere to cool.
4. Dice the ham and cut the cornichon
5. Mix the shallot, 1 tbsp of the capers, and half the cornichon in a bowl and snip over the parsley, reserving some for garnish and some for the sauce. Using kitchen scissors also snip in the spring onions including a cm/½” or so of the green stem.
6. Add to a loaf tin (or you can make this in individual ramekins). Pour over the cooled jelly. Leave to set for about two hours.
7. Mix the rest of the capers and cornichon (leaving a little for garnish), some of the parsley and the mustard, with the yoghurt or mayonnaise.
8. Unmould the terrine (upend on a board and shake like mad…loosen with a knife if necessary). Garnish with the rest of the reserved parsley.
9. Serve together with the yoghurt sauce and the croutons.