大象传媒

Cheese and Ham Havercakes

You can either use bought havercakes or make your own. Pancakes work just as well if you prefer.

Ingredients: for the havercakes

500ml mixed milk and water
125g fine oatmeal
25g yeast
75g flour
1 scant teaspoon salt

Method: for the havercakes

Mix the flour, salt and oatmeal. Warm the liquid and stir in gradually to make a smooth batter. Crumble in the yeast, stir gently and leave to stand in a warm place for 20 minutes. Stir again and cook in a strong, well-greased frying pan. Pour in enough bater to cover the base fairly thinly and turn out when cooked.

Ingredients: for the filling

200g grated cheddar
250ml milk
1/2 onion studded with 3 cloves
1 bay leaf
sprig of thyme
25ml Havercake Ale, or similar beer
50g butter
50g plain flour
170g diced pancetta

Method: For the Filling

Fry the pancetta in a desert spoon of oil until golden brown. Drain off the fat and set aside. Heat the milk gently in a pan with the onion, bay and thyme. When it comes to the boil, remove from the heat and stand for 15 minutes or so, for the flavours to infuse. Then, strain the milk into another pan and keep warm on a low heat.

In the mean time, melt the butter in another pan, add the flour and cook for a few minutes until the roux is a light, sandy colour. Then stir a little milk at a time into the roux to form a thick, smooth paste. When all the milk is added, add the beer, then stir in the cheese until melted. Finally add the pancetta.

Spread the mixture over the Havercakes or pancakes, and roll into a sausage. Chill for fifteen minutes or so in the fridge, to set the mixture, and then slice into bite size pieces to serve. Or, keep whole and serve warm as a savoury snack.