Asparagus in puff pastry with ham and cheese

Name: Asparagus in puff pastry with ham and cheese
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 6 puff pastry bundles
Ingredients: 1 lb (500g) asparagus; 1 tablespoon olive oil; 1 tablespoon lemon juice; 10 oz (280g) puff pastry sheet; 6 slices ham; 6 slices cheese; 1 teaspoon thyme; salt and pepper; 1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard; 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice; 1 tablespoon honey; 1 egg; 6 tablespoons flaked almonds

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Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
50 mins
Servings
6 puff pastry bundles
Calories
478 kcal
Course
Appetizer
Cuisine
International

Asparagus in puff pastry with ham and cheese

Yael Holden

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This delightful recipe is easy to follow and perfect for any occasion.

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Ingredients

Servings

for the pastries:

1 lb (500g) asparagus about 20 spears
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
10 oz (280g) puff pastry sheet
6 slices ham
6 slices cheese Swiss cheese or camembert/brie
1 teaspoon thyme you can use dried or fresh
salt and pepper to taste

honey mustard sauce (optional):

1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon honey

additionally:

1 egg for brushing the pastries
6 tablespoons flaked almonds

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Instructions

Start by setting the oven to 375°F/190°C/Gas Mark 5, no fan. If you have a convection oven (fan-assisted) reduce the temperature by about 20° or follow the manufacturer‘s instructions.
Prepare the asparagus: wash the asparagus and cut off the woody ends (where the green color starts to fade to white, so sometimes you have to cut off a lot, and sometimes almost nothing). Unless you've purchased very thin asparagus, peel 1/2 bottom with a vegetable peeler. Toss the asparagus with a tablespoon of olive oil and lemon juice, season with salt and pepper to taste.
Make the honey mustard sauce: whisk honey, mustard, and lemon juice until combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Cut the puff pastry sheet into six squares.
Place the puff pastry squares on a large baking tray lined with parchment paper.
Place a slice of cheese on each square of puff pastry. Spread a teaspoon of the sauce on each slice of cheese.
Place a slice of ham on top of the cheese, followed by about 4-5 asparagus spears, pour over the remaining olive oil and lemon juice mixture, sprinkle with thyme, and season with salt and pepper.
Wrap the edges of the dough around the asparagus and press to seal. Brush the dough with a beaten egg. Sprinkle the dough with flaked almonds (about 1 Tbsp/bundle).
Bake for about 30-35 minutes, until the pastries are golden.
Leave to cool and enjoy!

Notes

How to buy asparagus: the best asparagus is thin, the stalks should stand up straight, they should not be limp, if you try to bend them they should snap and not be elastic, they should be smooth and not wrinkled, the tips of asparagus should be tightly closed and compact, and not starting to spread out. Buying great asparagus is crucial for this recipe. Woody, tough, stringy asparagus will ruin the pastries. If you don't have good-quality asparagus, just make these pastries without it, they're good on their own too! Reserve low-quality asparagus for an asparagus soup.
Honey mustard sauce - this is optional. If you're using less flavorful cheese like Swiss cheese it is a great addition, but with a more flavorful cheese like brie, it is a nice addition but not necessary.
Storage: These puff pastry bundles taste best right after baking, still warm. Let them cool and store them in a tightly-closed container. After about 2-3 hours, they will be no longer crispy. They can be warmed up in the oven but won‘t be as good as freshly made.
Some tips on how to work with puff pastry:

Homemade puff pastry and store-bought all-butter puff pastry are more sticky and harder to work with than more available shortening-based puff pastry, so it‘s good to sprinkle it well with flour before cutting it into squares. If you’re using frozen puff pastry, thaw it in the fridge first, preferably overnight. Don‘t leave the puff pastry outside of the fridge for too long, it will become sticky and hard to work with. Prepare all the ingredients first and take the dough out of the fridge when everything is ready.
Homemade puff pastry and store-bought all-butter puff pastry are more sticky and harder to work with than more available shortening-based puff pastry, so it‘s good to sprinkle it well with flour before cutting it into squares.
If you’re using frozen puff pastry, thaw it in the fridge first, preferably overnight.
Don‘t leave the puff pastry outside of the fridge for too long, it will become sticky and hard to work with. Prepare all the ingredients first and take the dough out of the fridge when everything is ready.
Ingredient notes: You can use any ham and cheese that you like. I used Swiss cheese, you can also use gouda, gruyere, or brie. Instead of flaked almonds, you can use sesame seeds or everything bagel seasoning. You can also omit them.
Calories = 1 pastry (1/6 of the recipe). This is only an estimate!