Not in the mood for soup yet, so I opted for ham salad.
It's sad that today, one sees chicken salad, egg salad and tuna salad, but hardly ever does one see the best of the bunch, ham salad.
I guess that's why I make it. I also want some string beans, and they are connected.
I buy that Cook's Smoked Ham Steak, packed in water (I suppose). So I take the center ham bone(s) and, in a cup or so of water, bring them to a boil, then a slow simmer to reduce by 40-50%. Once done, I strain it, then let it cool and either refrigerate it or have it ready to use a little later.
I take the ham steak and cut into thin strips then, cutting across, almost shred the strips. Because there's so much water, I then take a handful of chopped ham and squeeze it over a bowl. I then put the ham onto a paper lined plate to pat dry. The key here is getting all the liquid you can out of the ham. I found this out the hard way. The first time I made this last year, I did not squeeze the ham. After a couple of days I ended up with what could charitably be called chilled ham soup. So I squeeze, and squeeze hard. The liquid is now going to go for the beans, along with the quick stock. Trim and cut the string beans in halves/thirds. Put into something like a skillet with a lid. Add the string beans, black pepper, and the two liquids. (You can add a touch of unsalted butter at ths point.) Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce to a slow bubble and remove the lid. Cook, stirring infrequently, for about 10-15 minutes, or until they are done to your taste (I like them a little on the crispy side). If you see the liquid going before they are cooked, reduce the heat further and cover with the lid to finish to the desired doneness. Once cooked, I taste for salt, then, removing with a slotted spoon to drain the liquid, I serve topped with with some slivered almonds that were lightly toasted in butter and allowed to cool.
The ham salad is the squeezed ham, some minced gherkins, 2-3 TBS minced shallots cooked in a few drops of olive oil, horseradish, dijon mustard, mayonnaise, cayenne pepper and dried tarragon, all to taste. But keep the salad stiff, not even moist. Just damp. Some water will come out over time. But once it refrigerates and sets, it becomes a very scoopable salad. Not only is it good for sandwiches and the like, but this can turn into party finger food as well. Lightly stuff the ham salad into endive leaves, making ham salad boats. On those, you could even top with a little fresh cut green onion or minced chive. Very pretty, tasty and imminently holdable. A fun use for endive.
But yeah, the ham salad's good AND I get string beans out of the deal.