The Return Of A Classic: How To Make The Perfect Saint James

Cousin of Cordon Bleu, Flamenquín or Cachopo, San Jacobo is definitely an old-fashioned dish. He had his moment of glory in the eighties and nineties of the last century, but today he lives banished to the freezer drawers, the (bad) “kids” food or the oldest menus of the time, without you seeing his hair on the menu of every restaurant the slightest claim.

It’s time to justify that, because a well-made homemade San Jacobo is a treat. A good melted cheese topped with properly cooked ham and a crunchy breading can bring us a lot of joy. So today we’re excited to make a deluxe/premium/posh version of this fried, with homemade breadcrumbs and a touch of mustard and honey. You have it, as always, in the video above.

ingredients

For 6 James

6 thick slices of cooked ham
150 g Arzúa Ulloa cheese (or an equal piece of another cheese that melts well)
2 tablespoons of honey
2 tablespoons mustard
2 small eggs
flour
Dry bread (if not, coarse breadcrumbs)
olive oil
salt and black pepper

preparation

Grind the dry bread in a food processor or grate it with a grater (you can also use store-bought breadcrumbs).

Cut the cheese into square pieces about 6 or 7 centimeters wide and about 1/2 centimeter thick. Put them in the fridge or freezer so they are very cold.

Mix honey and mustard in a bowl.

Spread out a slice of cooked ham and brush with the honey-mustard mixture using a kitchen brush or spoon. Cut it in half lengthwise.

Place a piece of cheese on one of the halves and fold the ends inwards (see video).

Place this packet, folded part down, on top of the other half and close in the same way, covering all sides of the cheese.

In three different bowls, prepare the ingredients for the breading: the breadcrumbs, the flour, and the beaten egg with a pinch of salt and black pepper.

Heat plenty of oil in a pan over medium-high heat.

Dip the ham and cheese parcels first in flour, then in the beaten egg and finally in the breadcrumbs. Fry until golden brown and place on a plate lined with kitchen paper. Serve hot.

If you make this recipe, share the result on your social networks with the hashtag #RecipesComidista. And if it goes wrong, complain to the Cook Ombudsman by sending an email to [email protected].