Honey glazed ham

A lovely glazed ham is a great staple over Christmas, not least because it’s also delicious cold with my pear and saffron chutney. Roast on the day if serving hot, or up to two days ahead if serving cold. Any leftover ham can be used in a variety of dishes and please don’t throw away the ham stock – it is great for soups, stews, risottos and sauces, so freeze it in convenient batches. SERVES 8–10

Ingredients

3kg unsmoked boneless gammon joint 4 medium carrots, peeled and roughly chopped 1 leek, cleaned and roughly chopped 1 onion, peeled and roughly chopped 1 tsp black peppercorns, lightly crushed 1 tsp coriander seeds, lightly crushed 100g demerara sugar 50ml Madeira 25ml sherry vinegar 125g honey

METHOD

Put the gammon into a large saucepan and pour on enough cold water to cover. Add the carrots, leek, onion, peppercorns, coriander seeds, cinnamon stick and bay leaves. Bring to the boil, turn down to a simmer and cook for 3 hours, topping up with more boiling water if necessary. Skim off the froth and any impurities that rise to the surface from time to time. If cooking in advance, leave the ham to cool in the stock overnight. Otherwise, allow it to cool a little, then remove from the pan. Strain the stock (and save for soups, sauces, etc.).

To make the glaze, put the sugar, Madeira, sherry vinegar and honey into a pan and stir over a low heat. Bring to the boil, lower the heat and simmer for 3–4 minutes, until you have a glossy dark syrup. Do not leave unattended, as it can easily boil over.

Preheat the oven to 190°C/Gas 5. Lift the ham onto a board. Snip and remove the string and then cut away the skin from the ham, leaving behind an even layer of fat. Lightly score the fat all over in a criss-cross, diamond pattern, taking care not to cut into the meat. Stud the centre of each diamond with a clove.

Put the ham into a roasting tin and pour half of the glaze over the surface. Roast for 15 minutes.

Pour on the rest of the glaze and return to the oven for another 25–35 minutes until the ham is golden brown, basting with the pan juices frequently. It also helps to turn the pan as you baste to ensure that the joint colours evenly.

Remove from the oven and leave to rest for 15 minutes before carving and serving with the accompaniments.