I fell in love with this incredibly tasty broccoli pie from the very beginning but adding the beautiful Vendée (white) ham makes it extra special. It's a lovely meal on it's own, served with a salad in summer or with buttery mashed potatoes in fall/winter. With store-bought dough so inexpensive and readily available, it's also super easy but of course you can make your own. If you're intimidated making the roux, don't worry. If you follow the recipe to the letter, you can't go wrong. And if you wish to make it vegetarian, simply leave the ham and switch chicken broth with veg broth.

Ingredients and preparation Broccoli Pie with Vendéen Jambon Blanc

For up to 4 people

Pâte brisée - 1 pie crust (or 2 because you can make it prettier by creating a lattice to cover the pie with)
750g of broccoli florets cooked for 3 minutes in salt water and set aside to cool in a colander
1 cup or 100g (Vendée) white ham cut into fine pieces (I like Bioporc brand)
2 TBSP of butter
1.5 TBSP of flour (regular)
100ml chicken broth
200ml cream (you can add the chicken broth and cream together to be prepared)
2 egg yolks
2 + 1 TBSP grated cheese like Comte, Emmental, or Gruyère - measured out separately
Pepper and salt to taste

Method

Dough

Prepare the pie form, smear it well with butter on a paper towel
Drape the dough snugly into the form
Crimp the edges between thumb and forefinger
Prick the though with the tines of a fork (see picture)
Preheat oven to 225c (430F)

Filling

Sautee the ham in butter
Add flour
Stir it around briefly without letting it turn golden
Add cream/ broth mixture and stir well
Simmer the sauce until it thickens
Quickly stir in two egg yolks, stir it well until they are completely incorporated into the sauce. This will help thicken the sauce further.
Season with pepper and taste for salt
Remove sauce from heat source
Stir in two tablespoons of cheese (make no mistake - FIRST off the heat, THEN the cheese)

Sprinkle 1 TBSP of cheese across the pie dough
Arrange the (thoroughly leaked and cooled) broccoli fleurettes in a pretty circle like a flower
Pour the sauce all over the fleurettes, pushing some of the sauce in between them
Bake at 225c for 30 minutes or until the sauce is set the pie looks like the images
IF necessary, leave it in longer OR (using a plate) you can turn it upside down into the form at this point if the bottom of the pie isn't baked to a golden brown enough. Keep an eye on it.
Let pie cool a little before moving it to a wire rack (this so the bottom doesn't get soggy)