| Ham Mousse in Cucumber Cups |
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˝ pound Black Forest ham
1 package (3 ounce) cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup walnuts, toasted and ground
2 Tablespoons mayonnaise
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 Tablespoon minced shallots
1 teaspoon lemon juice
˝ teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
Salt and pepper, to taste
4 cucumbers, long seedless cucumbers work best
Parsley sprigs and toasted walnuts for garnish
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| Place the ham in a food processor. Pulse. Add the cream cheese,
ground walnuts, mayonnaise, mustard, juice and shallots. Process until
smooth. Add more mayonnaise if needed for injection consistency. Adjust
the taste for salt and pepper. Peel alternating long strips of skin
off of a cucumber or make indentations in the skin with the tines
of a fork. Make cucumber cups by slicing the cucumbers into 1 1/4
"slices. Scoop out the centers containing the seeds with a melon baller
or with a spoon to form a cup. Don't cut too deeply. Leave some cucumber
on the bottom to form the floor of the cup. Discard the seeds. Fill
a Flavor Express® bellows with the smooth ham and cheese mixture.
Fill each cucumber cup using the larger needle. Mound the ham mixture
slightly. Arrange the cucumber cups on a parsley lined platter. Sprinkle
with toasted walnuts and parsley leaves. Chill in the refrigerator.
Serve chilled for a nice appetizer or hors d'oeuvre |
| The cucumber cups should be served soon after making. You may, however,
prepare the ham filling a day or two before serving. Keep the mixture
refrigerated. This makes a good snack for kids of all ages. The Flavor
Express® marinator makes it easy to evenly fill these small cups.
It's easier than using a spoon or a pastry bag. |
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