Ham and egg timbale recipe

Total: 40 min Diners: 4

The ham timbale, sometimes with hard-boiled egg, is an important part of my childhood happiness. I think, in fact, that many of my fondest memories of home were at my Aunt Cruz’s house, with my aunt Cuqui, my uncle Fernando, my aunt Almudena and my mother. There I had dishes that I recognize purely from home, such as scrambled potatoes with eggs, pencas (chard with blonde sauce and mashed potatoes with the green part on the side), strawberries with real cream, calamari in its ink, ratatouille…. and this ham timbale that we ate accompanied by some freshly fried bread croutons.

It is actually nothing more than the béchamel of some croquettes before shaping it and I am not very clear if it is something that is done in more houses (or was done) but I remember it with a lot of love. The recipe could not be simpler because really the only mystery is to prepare a good bechamel without lumps and that yes, better to eat it as a first course in a small bowl because no need to explain that it is a bomb.

Looking for the word timbale in the RAE, which I associated with a mountain of roasted Vegetable Recipes in a mold, I found the following definition: “Dough of flour and butter, usually in the form of a bowl, which is filled with macaroni or other delicacies”. And although I admit that I can’t imagine what it refers to, I do understand that it is possible that in my house they would call a dough of flour and lard a timbale. I have also found that it is the typical plating ring that we all know so that the presentations are tidy.

If you like bechamel, if you love croquettes (try the ones from the best places in Madrid), this recipe will fascinate you. Just like the one for egg croquettes or the one for huevos encapotados – everyone’s dream to eat the croquette dough before shaping it!

How to make ham and egg timbale

Ingredients

. Sourdough bread slices, 3 u Eggs, 4 pcs Butter, 80 g Diced ham, 120 g Flour, 80 g Fresh whole milk, 1 liter Black pepper, 1 teaspoon Salt, c/s Olive oil for frying, abundant quantity

Step 1

Cook the eggs in a saucepan with boiling water, already hot, for 8 minutes and 30 seconds. With this we will get a smooth white and a yolk that is still a little creamy inside but still manageable. As soon as the time is over, strain and take to a bowl with cold water with ice to cut the cooking quickly.

Step 2

Meanwhile start the béchamel sauce, melt the butter in a wide pan and, when it is melted, add the diced ham. Fry the ham lightly for a couple of minutes until it begins to change color.

Step 3

Add the flour, lower the heat and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring constantly with the whisks so that it does not brown or stick.

Step 4

Incorporate the milk, turn up the heat and stir with the whisks until the béchamel sauce reaches the right consistency. Keep in mind that when it cools it gets even more body.

Step 5

Peel the hard-boiled eggs, a good trick is to crack them slightly and put them in the water. It helps the shell to come out better. Break them in half, remove the egg yolk and set it aside and chop the egg white abundantly. Add the egg white to the béchamel sauce and stir well. It will be the moment to taste it to adjust the salt according to the strength of the ham we have used.

Step 6

Cut the bread slices to taste to turn them into croutons. In my house they have always been elongated to go making little boats in the timbale but we can also make them square and small to put them on top as “croutons”. Fry the bread in a frying pan with plenty of olive oil until golden brown on all sides. Remove to a plate with kitchen paper so that it loses the excess fat.

Step 7

Serve the timbale hot and top with a crushed egg yolk (this is my contribution), accompany with croutons.

Ham and egg timbale recipe on video

Let’s leave this ham and egg timbale recipe on video, so you can see step by step how to make it to succeed at home.