Traditional ham is perfect for Christmas dinner

A TRADITIONAL ham is the perfect choice if you’ve got a full house with lots of people to feed and its the ideal accompaniment to turkey.

If you talk to your local butcher they will advise you on the size of ham that you will need for the number of people you have for Christmas dinner and there's no harm in getting one a bit bigger because a good ham is just as delicious cold as it is hot and it's great to have it for a couple of days.

It is a good idea to boil it on Christmas Eve so that you only have to finish it off in the oven on Christmas day.

Although hams tend to be much less salty nowadays, soaking overnight is still a good idea.

Place the ham in a large pan and cover with cold water. Leave to soak for at least six hours or overnight if possible and then drain.

Weigh the ham and calculate the cooking time, allowing 15 minutes per 450g.

Place in a large pan and cover with water and bring to the boil, skimming off any scum.

Add celery, onion, carrot, bay leaves and peppercorns and return to the boil, then cover, reduce the heat and simmer until completely tender, occasionally skimming off any scum that rises to the top.

If you are not sure about whether the ham is properly cooked check the bone end – it should come away freely.

Leave to cool in the cooking liquid. To glaze it preheat the oven to 160°C/300°F/Gas Mark 3.

Drain the ham – but keep the stock as it is a good basis for a soup. Carefully peel away the skin, leaving the layer of white fat intact. Using a sharp knife, score the fat in thin straight lines, being careful not to cut into the meat.

Brush the fat with mustard, then stud with cloves and sprinkle brown sugar on top.

Finally drizzle over with honey and place in a large roasting tin. Pour around cider and cook for one hour until golden, basting every 15 minutes to ensure an even glaze. Remove the cooked ham from the oven, transfer to a serving platter and leave to rest for 15 minutes.

The lovely juices left in the pan can be used to make a gravy for the ham or added to your turkey gravy, once you’ve skimmed off any excess.