Ham hock, leek and cheese pasta
6 baker potatoes
150g kale ( weight with stalks removed)
2 onions, finely sliced
2 tablespoons oil
25g butter
10g plain flour
125ml whole milk
100ml whipping cream
75g grated cheddar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper to taste
4 gammon steaks
1 tablespoon honey
150ml ale
Few sprigs fresh thyme
Peel the potatoes and cut into ½ cm slices. Place in a pan of cold water and simmer until just cooked. Drain well.
Melt the butter in a pan and add the flour and mix to a smooth paste. Add the milk and cream and whisk to a smooth sauce. Add 50g of the cheddar, the mustard and check the seasoning. Fry the onions in the oil until golden and add the kale. Cook to wilt down for about 2 minutes.
Butter a baking dish and put half the potatoes on the bottom. Top with the kale and half the sauce and spread to cover the potatoes. Top with the remaining potatoes – overlap them and cover with the remaining sauce. Scatter over the remaining cheese and bake in a 200oc oven for about 20 minutes.
Boil the honey, ale and thyme to a syrup.
Heat a grill pan until smoking. Brush the gammon with oil and cook on the grill pan until seared on both sides. When cooked through brush with some of the honey ale mixture to glaze. Keep warm while you cook the rest of the gammon and repeat with the glaze. Serve with the gratin
