This adaptation of Yorkshire-style potted ham is a great way to transform leftover baked ham into a fun and surprisingly delicious snack or party food. Serve it as you would a spread with grilled bread, buttery crackers, or pita chips.

Traditionally, Yorkshire-style potted ham was the process of packing chopped ham into jars or pots, then topping it with clarified butter, which would preserve the meat so that it could be eaten multiple days (or more) later. This version is less about preservation and more about finding fun and tasty ways of using the leftovers you might have from, say, a Christmas or Easter ham.

What you need for potted ham!

The great news is the only ingredient that you absolutely must have for this recipe is, well, the ham! Because we aren’t really trying to preserve it, you can pretty much include any flavorings you prefer. For this recipe, I like using grass-fed butter, which doesn’t solidify as much when chilled. This results in a better, spreadable texture. Dill, scallions, and cornichons give it lots of flavor while a splash of apple cider vinegar and a bit of whole-grain mustard balances the rich flavor of the ham and butter combo.

All you gotta do is mix!

In all honesty, the hardest part about this recipe is chopping the ham. You can use a food processor or one of this smack-the-top hand choppers is you want to make the job easier (or if you prefer a finer consistency). I prefer finely chopping the ham by hand as it results in a coarse mixture that, in my opinion, offers the final dish a much better texture. Other than that, all you gotta do is mix everything together in a bowl, then pack it in jars.

5 from 2 ratings

Potted Ham

This adaptation of Yorkshire-style potted ham is a great way to transform leftover baked ham into a fun and surprisingly delicious snack or party food. Serve it with grilled bread or buttery crackers.

Ingredients 

  • 3 ounces unsalted butter, preferably grass-fed
  • 8 ounces baked ham, very finely chopped (not thin-sliced deli ham)
  • 2 scallions, thinly sliced
  • 6 cornichons, thinly sliced, plus more for serving
  • 3 tablespoons minced dill, plus more for garnish
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • Grilled bread or crackers, for serving

Instructions

  • In a small saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Remove from the heat and let stand while you prepare the ham mixture.
  • In a medium bowl, mix the ham with the scallions, cornichons, dill, olive oil, mustard, and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper.
  • Carefully drizzle the melted butter into the ham mixture, leaving the white milk solids in the pan, and then mix well. Divide the ham mixture evenly into two 8-ounce ramekins. Cover and refrigerate until just chilled, about 30 minutes. Serve with grilled bread and cornichons. (See Note)

Notes

Traditionally, Yorkshire-style potted ham was a recipe designed to preserve leftover ham so that it could be eaten multiple days later. The packed pots of ham would be topped with more butter (or another fat) to seal out air, which is how it was preserved.
Did you make this recipe?Tag @justinchapple and hashtag it #justinchapple on Instagram.