Love your leftover ham

Anna King Shahab offers plenty of inspiration for tasty post-Christmas eats.

Don’t get in a jam with your leftover Christmas ham. Here are 10 fresh ideas that will banish the notion of ham fatigue. 1 Cubanos: Take long ciabatta rolls or slices of a loaf of ciabatta-style bread and spread generously with hot mustard. Add sliced gherkins, thick slices of ham, a few slices of spicy salami and Swiss-style cheese. Finish with a good slathering of mayo and season with salt and pepper. Lightly toast in a toasted sandwich maker or in a hot dry pan, until the cheese is melted. 2 Simple scrolls: Take readyrolled puff pastry sheet and spread over piccalilli or other chutney. Cover with thin slices of ham, then scatter over grated cheese. Starting at the bottom edge, carefully roll up the sheet of pastry, keeping filling inside as you go, to make a big sausage. Slice into pieces a few inches wide, and lay out as spirals on a lined baking tray. Bake at 180-degrees Celsius for around 20 minutes, until pastry is cooked through and golden, and oozing with cheese. 3 Ham and asparagus crepes: Asparagus will still be around (just) so make the most of it. Mix up a batch of crepe batter and add to it a whole lot of grated Parmesan and a touch of salt and pepper. Cook small-sized crepes in a hot buttered pan and set aside. Meanwhile blanch asparagus and slice ham thinly. To each crepe, add a slice of ham and a couple of asparagus spears, then a dollop of aioli or ranch dressing. Scatter over a little extra Parmesan, then roll up crepe and secure with a fancy toothpick if you like. Serve warm. 4 Croque monsieurs: A doorstep-thick croque monsieur makes the perfect Boxing Day brunch. Brioche bread is best – cut it thickly and layer with ham, Swiss cheese, grainy mustard and bechamel sauce (this is what sets your croque apart from your average Anglo toastie, so don’t skimp, and make it yourself if you can, it’s a good skill to perfect). Top with lots more cheese and, if you like, a smattering of freshly chopped parsley or thyme, and grill until it looks the part. 5 Make hash: Use cubes of ham and any leftover roast veges – fry it all up with added sliced onion, capsicum, fresh herbs. Crack in eggs to bind the whole hot mess, and once eggs are just cooked, serve up with a dollop of chutney or relish on the side. 6 Ham, spinach and cheese muffins: A good way to satisfy hungry kids – you can easily sneak in further nutrition by way of grated carrot or zucchini, spring onion and corn kernels, too. 7 Baked eggs: Line greased muffin trays with ham, crack in an egg and add whatever else takes your fancy and bake until egg is cooked, before carefully turning ham cups out of the tin. Try chilli beans, jalapeno and cheddar, garnished with coriander and sour cream. 8 Replace chicken with ham in a waldorf-like salad: Dice ham and apple (celeriac works well, too), sliced celery, toasted walnut pieces in a rich creamy dressing. Serve in a buttercup lettuce-lined teacup for extra retro points. 9 Fried ham: Saute diced ham in peanut oil, adding in a little hoisin or char siu sauce to coat the ham with a little five-spiced sweetness. Then wok-fry with cold rice, spring onion, blanched Chinese greens and bean sprouts for a simple lunch or dinner. 10 Make a pie: Fill your puff pastry with slices or dices of ham and plenty of eggs. Add a base layer of relish, mustard or caramelised onion, slices of leftover potato, sliced tomato or baby peas.

A doorstepthick croque monsieur makes the perfect Boxing Day brunch.