Country Ham and Cheddar on Biscuits with Currant-Mustard Chutney

By Marge Perry & David Bonom

Call them tea sandwiches or call them sliders—either way, these diminutive little sandwiches are a powerhouse of flavor. Note: make an extra batch—or two—of the chutney. It’s great on grilled meat and poultry, terrific on sandwiches, and classic served over cream cheese with crackers.



  • Yield: Makes 24 sandwiches
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INGREDIENTS

Chutney:

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • 2 teaspoons fresh ginger, minced
  • 3/4 teaspoon curry powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 3/4 cup dried currants
  • 3 tablespoons water
  • 2 tablespoons raspberry vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1/4 cup apple jelly
  • 1 tablespoon country Dijon mustard
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt


Biscuits: 

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 8 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
  • 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons low fat buttermilk
  • 1 large egg yolk beaten
  • 12 ounces country ham, thinly sliced
  • 6 slices sharp cheddar cheese, about 6 ounces

DIRECTIONS

1. For the chutney, heat the oil in a medium Anolon® Advanced Umber nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and ginger; cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened, 3-4 minutes. Add the curry powder and cinnamon; cook, stirring, until 30 seconds. Stir in the currants and cook until starting to soften, 2 minutes. Add the water and vinegar and cook until the currants plump slightly, about 3 minutes. Stir in the sugar and cook 1 minute. Remove from the heat and let cool 10 minutes. Stir in the jelly, mustard and salt; refrigerate until ready to serve. 

2. Preheat the oven to 425°F. 

3. Combine the flour, baking powder, pepper, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Using a pastry blender cut the butter into the flour until it resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the buttermilk until the mixture is moistened; knead the dough 3-4 times in the bowl to bring it together. Press the dough into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap; refrigerate 20-30 minutes. 

4. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to a scant 1/2-inch thickness. Using a 2-inch fluted biscuit cutter, start at the outside edge of the dough and cut out the biscuits and set on an Anolon® large nonstick baking sheet. Gently press the dough scraps together and roll it out to 1/2-inch thickness. Cut out enough biscuits to equal 24 and place them on the baking sheet. Brush the tops with the egg yolk. 

5. Bake the biscuits in the center of the preheated oven until they are puffed and the tops are golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool 15 minutes. 

6. Split the biscuits in half horizontally and set aside. Lay the ham slices on a cutting board in a single layer. Using the fluted 2-inch biscuit cutter, punch out 24 ham circles and place one on the bottom half of each biscuit. Lay the cheese slices on the cutting board and punch out 24 circles and place each on top of the ham. Wrap the ham and cheese scraps and save for another use. Spoon the chutney evenly on top of each biscuit the replace the top half of each biscuit. Can be assembled several hours ahead and kept in the refrigerator.