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1/2 c. flour
Leftover ham, diced (at least 1–2 cups)
1 small or medium onion, diced
1–2 tablespoons flour
1–2 tablespoons butter or neutral oil
3 carrots diced small
2 ribs of celery, diced small
1 c. frozen peas (approx.)
Red pepper flakes
Dried sage
Dried dill
Sweet paprika
Milk (amount will depend on ham quantity)
salt & pepper
Optional: 1 or 2 tablespoons sour cream or yoghurt
Saute the diced onion and celery in butter or a neutral oil — just enough to keep it sizzling and not sticking. When the onion is translucent, add the ham and pepper flakes. (Not a lot of pepper flakes. Just a little to give it a slight zest without overshadowing the subtler flavors.)
When the ham has cooked through, maybe browned a bit, add the carrots and a bit of water to barely cover the mixture. Cover and cook until the carrots are tender. The mixture should be slushy, but not too soupy. The water is there to cook the carrots and create a bit of a “stock” from the ham. Season with S&P (you don’t need much if any salt; the ham usually adds plenty), a few pinches of sage, a bit of paprika (but not enough to overpower or come through as a strong flavor), and much more dill than you think it will need.
Stir in a couple of tablespoons of flour and keep stirring until that cooks through and starts to thicken. Add enough milk (and optional sour cream or yoghurt) to cover the mixture and add sufficient sauce — amounts will vary depending on the amount of ham and veggies. Just eyeball it until there’s ample sauce but it doesn’t look like soup.
You can continue adjusting the milk/flour ratio until it is the right thickness and right amount of liquid. Taste to adjust seasoning, and when it’s nearly done add the frozen peas and cook until they’re well defrosted and all the flavors are melded. I usually add a bit more dill at this point. You can’t have too much of the ham/dill/milk combo. You can also add a bit more pepper flake or black pepper if it needs more zing, but don’t overdo it. The other flavors are easily overpowered.
Serve with grits, cheesy grits, rice, or egg noodles. (I usually use grits.)
Source: Paul
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