Holiday ham pot pies in hot water crust

Melt butter in a pan over medium-high heat; add onion, celery, carrot and a big pinch of salt; cook, stirring, a couple of minutes until the onions turn translucent.

Stir in all-purpose flour to form a roux and cook a few more minutes until it barely turns golden brown; further and it may turn bitter.

Pour in cold chicken broth and stir until it thickens, within seconds; hot roux into cold broth gives no lumps.

Add a splash of cream, the cubed ham, minced rosemary, black pepper and a few shakes of cayenne; stir.

Thin with a splash of cold water; once simmering, reduce to medium-low and cook about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stir in frozen peas if using; taste for seasoning. Cool, cover and refrigerate the filling.

For the hot water crust, blend salt into all-purpose flour and make a well.

Bring butter and cold water to a simmer over medium-high; when the butter is almost melted, swirl, take off the heat and pour into the flour.

Stir with a spoon until it clumps; when cool enough to touch, press together, then knead and squeeze on the work surface into a round disc.

Flour both sides and roll out between an eighth and a quarter inch thick; cut into quarters and keep three covered on a plate, warm.

Roll one piece a little more and cut a lid with a round cutter slightly larger than the ramekin, or trace the ramekin and cut with a knife.

Re-form the rest into a ball, roll to an eighth to a quarter inch, and press into a ramekin, up the sides and over the edge.

Roll the lid a little larger; set the ramekin on a foil-lined sheet pan and fill with the cooled filling, either leaving half an inch at the top or filling over the top.

Brush the dough edge with egg wash, set the lid on centered, press to seal, and trim cleanly against the ramekin edge with a small thin knife.

Crimp all around with a fork, brush the top with egg wash, and cut a vent hole in the center.

Bake in the center of a 400 degree oven for about an hour, until golden brown and bubbling.

Rest on a rack a few minutes; garnish with rosemary sprigs. Serve with a spoon in the ramekin, or once cooled to warm or room temperature lift out and eat by hand.