Ham-MonChou Rolletjes

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Small mixing bowl
• •Fork or rubber spatula
• •Sharp knife
• •Small sieve
• •20 wooden cocktail sticks (prikkertjes)

Instructions

1. 1

   Drain the pickle

   Finely chop the augurken, then press them in a small sieve or between kitchen paper until they no longer drip. This seems fussy until you skip it once. Wet pickle loosens the cheese, and then the tidy little roll becomes a pink landslide.

2. 2

   Mix the filling

   Beat the softened MonChou with the gherkin brine, chives, parsley, mustard, and a little white pepper until smooth. Fold in the chopped augurk. Taste before adding anything salty; the ham is waiting to do that work.

3. 3

   Prepare the ham

   Lay the ham slices flat on a board and pat them dry with kitchen paper. If the slices are very large, trim them into neat rectangles. Keep the offcuts for a sandwich or an omelette, because thrift is not decoration in a Dutch kitchen.

4. 4

   Spread and roll

   Spread a thin layer of filling over each ham slice, leaving a narrow bare edge at the far side. Roll from the filled edge toward the bare edge, firm but not tight, and place each roll seam-side down. A heavy hand squeezes the filling out; a loose hand gives you a roll that opens on the plate. The middle road is Dutch for a reason.

   If the ham tears, the slice is too dry or too cold. Let the next slice sit for five minutes, then roll again with a lighter hand.
5. 5

   Chill to set

   Cover the rolls and chill for at least 30 minutes. This short rest firms the cheese and lets the herbs settle into it, so the knife cuts cleanly instead of dragging cream across the ham.

6. 6

   Slice and skewer

   Cut each roll in half with a sharp knife, wiping the blade between cuts if needed. Push a prikker through each piece and set them on a plate, cut side showing if you like the green flecks of herb and augurk to announce themselves. Serve cold, but not refrigerator-hard; ten minutes on the table is enough.

Chef Tips

• •Use thin cooked ham, achterham, not smoked raw ham. The filling needs a soft, flexible wrapper, and raw ham fights the clean bite you want here.
• •MonChou is firmer than many tub-style cream cheeses. If you substitute, choose full-fat block cream cheese and avoid whipped tubs, which turn slack once the chopped pickle goes in.
• •For a potluck, keep the rolls cold in a lidded box with a small ice pack and set out only part of the tray at a time. Ham and cream cheese are friendly food, not food that wants to sit all afternoon.
• •A glass of pils, jonge jenever, or cold sparkling water with lemon belongs beside these better than wine. This is borrel food, and borrel, the Dutch drinks hour, has its own good manners.

Advance Preparation

• •The filling can be mixed up to 1 day ahead and kept covered in the refrigerator. Stir once before spreading.
• •The whole rolls can be assembled up to 12 hours ahead. Keep them seam-side down, covered, and cut shortly before serving for the neatest edges.
• •Leftovers keep 1 day refrigerated, though the ham may weep a little. Eat them cold and do not freeze them.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 26g)