Creamy Ham Spread
A simple vintage European cold spread made with cooked ham, sour cream, butter, mustard, and a little tomato paste. The original recipe finely grinds the ham, mixes everything until smooth, then chills it before serving with bread or toast.
Method
- Finely grind the cooked ham. A meat grinder is traditional, but a food processor can be used to achieve a very fine texture.
- In a bowl, beat the softened butter until creamy and light.
- Gradually mix the ground ham into the butter.
- Add the sour cream, tomato paste, mustard, salt, black pepper, and finely chopped parsley.
- If desired, add a small splash of cognac.
- Mix thoroughly until the spread is smooth and evenly combined.
- Transfer to a serving bowl or container, cover, and refrigerate until well chilled.
- Serve cold with bread or toast.
Notes
The seasoning quantities are intentionally flexible. The original cookbook lists tomato paste, mustard, salt, pepper, parsley, and cognac without measurements, so these should genuinely be added to taste rather than assigning invented quantities.
Cognac is optional. The original text says konjaku but doesn’t specify an amount. A teaspoon or two would be plenty if you’d like to include it.
Texture: This isn’t meant to have chunky pieces of ham. The cookbook instructs you to grind the ham finely and then mix it into whipped butter, creating a smooth, rich spread.
Serving: The original specifically recommends serving the chilled ham cream with bread or toast.
Make ahead: This is an ideal make-ahead appetizer because the recipe is intended to be chilled thoroughly before serving.
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