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Country Ham, Cream Cheese, and Pecan Rounds

Source of Recipe

From "Pig: King of the Southern Table" by James Villas


Recipe Introduction

"Southerners love to combine cream cheese with any form of ham to make all types of canapés, and none disappears more quickly at receptions and cocktail parties than these rich, salty rounds made with well-aged country ham. If you can chill the stuffed balls overnight before cutting, so much the better, and since the texture of the rounds changes adversely at room temperature, don't let them sit around too long before serving."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 6 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
â—¦ 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
â—¦ ½ cup finely chopped pecans
â—¦ Cayenne pepper to taste
â—¦ 1 ½ tablespoons heavy cream
â—¦ Eight 6- by 4-inch thin slices cooked country ham, trimmed of fat


Recipe

In a bowl, beat the cream cheese and mustard with a heavy fork till smooth. Add the pecans, cayenne, and cream, and beat till well blended. Finely chop two slices of the ham, add to the cheese mixture, and beat till well blended.

On a work surface, spread each of the six remaining slices of ham with about 1 tablespoon of the cheese mixture, and roll up each slice snugly. Place the rolls on a plate, cover with plastic wrap, and chill for at least 1 hour.

Cut each roll into four 1-inch rounds, secure each round with a toothpick, and serve chilled.

Makes 24 rounds