Get Inspired For Christmas…

We will be bringing you some gorgeous recipes over the next few weeks to indulge in, and inspire you over the Christmas period. These wonderful recipes will be tried and tested on our own British Gammon Joints, available to purchase from our online shop. This weeks recipe is just a simple Baked ham.

Baked Ham

Ingredients:

1 raw  ham, about 3kg/11lb, bone in
2 leeks, halved
1 onion, halved
1 carrot, cut into big chunks
10 black peppercorns
2 bay leaves

For The Glaze:

1 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp grated orange zest
3 tbsp demerara sugar
3 tbsp light muscovado sugar
2-3 tbsp English mustard powder
handful whole cloves, for decoration
honey to drizzle

Prep

Please place gammon joint in a pan of cold water overnight ready to be cooked the following day.

Then drain.

Once the ham is ready to cook, put the joint into a large pan, cover with fresh cold water and add the leeks, onion, carrot, peppercorns, and bay leaves. Bring to the boil, cover with a lid then simmer the ham for about 20 minutes per 450g/1lb. To test that the ham is cooked, stick a cold skewer down into the centre of the ham and leave it for 10 seconds. Take it out and test it carefully against your lip. It should be piping hot.

Let the ham cool a little in its cooking liquid, then carefully lift it out and onto a board. (The liquid can be used as a delicious stock for split pea soup and other recipes.) Leave the ham to cool a little.

Remove string and score the top of the ham into a diagonal criss-cross pattern with a sharp knife. The ham can now be chilled for up to two days, or you can bake it straight away.

Preheat the oven to 220C/425F/Gas 7.

Grind the coriander seeds in a pestle and mortar. In a bowl, mix the grated orange zest and sugars, then add the ground coriander seeds. Sift the mustard powder evenly over the ham, then scatter the sugar mixture over the work surface and roll the ham in the mixture to coat the fat. Push a clove into the centre of each diamond in the fat of the ham. Drizzle over the honey.

Cover the exposed end of the ham loosely with foil, securing with a few toothpicks. Place the ham on a rack inside a roasting tin and bake the ham for 15 minutes until the glaze is sticky and crisp, maybe even a little charred here and there. Eat hot or cold.

My verdict : As you can see I have a few darker patches on my ham, but it adds a crispier texture. This recipe is bursting with flavour, and the cloves add a  lovely festive feel!

Posted by sarah wagstaff in Inside Houghton Hams