Ham Wellington — Cook For Me, Just This Once

My birthday is next week. Thirty-eight. The age Mama was when she was just Mama — not sick Mama, not cancer Mama, just Mama in the kitchen, Mama at the table, Mama singing in the choir. At thirty-eight, Mama was invincible. At thirty-eight, I am rebuilding. Different timelines. Different women. Same kitchen. Same can.

Derek asked what I want for my birthday. I said, "I want you to cook me dinner." He looked at me with the expression of a man who has been asked to perform surgery without training. He said, "You want ME to cook?" I said, "I want you to try." He said, "You're going to eat it?" I said, "I'm going to eat every bite." He said, "It might be terrible." I said, "I don't care." Because I don't. I don't care if the food is bad. I care that someone stands at the stove for me. I care that someone measures and chops and stirs for me. I have cooked for everyone — my children, my father, my mother, my Set the Table girls, my church, my community — and I want someone to cook for me. Not because I need it. Because I deserve it. I said that word again: deserve. It's becoming familiar in my mouth.

Set the Table: Destiny announced that she's applying to culinary school. Johnson & Wales, in Charlotte. She said it in front of the group, standing in the church kitchen, wearing the apron she bought at fifteen, holding the notebook she's been filling for three years. She said, "Miss Tamika, you showed me the kitchen. I want to make it my life." I didn't speak for a full minute. The girls waited. I was trying not to cry because crying would make this about me and this is about Destiny. I said, "You're going to be extraordinary." She said, "I already am. You told me that." I did. I told her that. Three years ago, in this kitchen, I told a fifteen-year-old girl she was extraordinary and she believed me and she's applying to culinary school and the line extends and the table widens and Mama, wherever you are, this is what we built.

Derek asked what I wanted and I said I want you to cook me dinner, and I meant something that felt like an occasion — something that required effort, something he would have to look up. Ham Wellington is that dish. It’s not complicated if you follow the steps, but it looks like love on a plate, and when he sets it down in front of me, I’m going to eat every single bite and mean every single word of “this is perfect.” Because it will be.

Ham Wellington

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 35 min | Total Time: 55 min | Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 1 fully cooked bone-in ham steak (about 2 lbs), trimmed
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
• 4 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup shredded Gruyere or Swiss cheese
• 2 tablespoons fresh chives, chopped
• 1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)
• 1 tablespoon water

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven. Heat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Make the mustard glaze. In a small bowl, whisk together the Dijon mustard, honey, black pepper, and garlic powder. Brush this mixture evenly over both sides of the ham steak and let it rest for 10 minutes.
3. Prepare the cheese spread. In a separate bowl, mix the softened cream cheese, shredded Gruyere, and chopped chives until well combined. Set aside.
4. Roll out the pastry. On a lightly floured surface, unfold the puff pastry sheet and gently roll it out just enough to wrap the ham steak with a 1-inch overlap on all sides.
5. Assemble the Wellington. Spread the cream cheese mixture across the center of the pastry. Lay the glazed ham steak on top of the cheese mixture. Fold the pastry up and over the ham, pressing the seams firmly to seal. Place seam-side down on the prepared baking sheet.
6. Apply the egg wash. Whisk together the beaten egg and water. Brush the egg wash evenly over the entire surface of the pastry. If desired, use a sharp knife to score a light crosshatch pattern on top for presentation.
7. Bake until golden. Bake at 400°F for 30–35 minutes, until the pastry is deep golden brown and cooked through. Let rest for 5 minutes before slicing.
8. Serve. Slice into portions and serve warm. It is going to look beautiful. Say so.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 480 | Protein: 28g | Fat: 29g | Carbs: 22g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 980mg