Recipes

Christmas ham casserole with winter greens and cider

Butterbean cassoulet with ham, chestnuts and cider. Photograph: Paul Flynn/ Harry Weir

Paul Flynn's face
Paul Flynn
Fri Dec 24 2021 - 05:55
Serves: 6
Course: Main Course
Cooking Time: 0 hr 20 mins
Ingredients
  • 1tbsp butter
  • 2 red onions, peeled and diced into chunks
  • Sprig of thyme
  • 2 tins of butterbeans, rinsed
  • 150ml cider
  • 150ml chicken stock
  • 2 whole star anise
  • 300g ham chunks (including all the sticky bits and glaze)
  • 1tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 1tsp golden brown sugar
  • A handful of baby spinach or sprouts (as many as you like)
  • Salt and black pepper

1 Put the butter, onions and thyme into a pot and cook gently for 10 minutes or so, until soft.

2 Add the butterbeans, cider, stock and star anise and bring to a gentle simmer for a few minutes, then add the ham, mustard and sugar.

3 After a further 10 minutes of gentle cooking, add the spinach or sprouts, a little salt and plenty of pepper. Serve immediately in warm bowls.

Paul Flynn

Paul Flynn

Paul Flynn is a chef, restaurateur and contributor to The Irish Times. He and his wife, Máire, run the Tannery restaurant and cookery school in Dungarvan, Co Waterford

LATEST STORIES