Festive glazed ham

When you cook this festive glazed ham your kitchen will instantly smell of Christmas.

I slowly and gently simmered the meat in a liquor of coca cola and cloves, then after adding a sticky glaze of mustard, soft brown sugar and orange zest, I roasted it until it was glistening and the meat falling apart.

It’s perfect for a Boxing Day feast, and then later to fill sandwiches, eat with salad or just pick at nonchalently every time you happen upon it over the holidays.

Festive glazed ham

2kg Gammon joint
2 litres cola
1 tsp cloves
2 tbsp wholegrain mustard
3 tbsp soft dark brown sugar
1 tbsp treacle
1 orange, zest only

1. Put the gammon joint in a large pan, cover with water, put the lid on and bring up to the boil. Turn off the heat and discard the frothy water.

2. Pour over the cola, topping up with water if needed to cover the ham. Add the cloves and then pop the lid back on. Bring up to the boil and then turn right down to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes per 500g of meat.

3. Pre-heat the oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Drain the ham and place on a roasting dish. Remove the top layer of skin with a very sharp knife, leaving a nice fatty layer underneath. Score the remaining fat into a diamond pattern.

4. Put the mustard, sugar, treacle and orange zest into a small pan and gently heat to combine the ingredients. Pour over the ham to coat the scored fat, using the back of a spoon to make sure it gets rubbed everywhere, then pop in the oven to roast for 30 minutes.

5. Carve into generous slices and serve.

I try and use as high welfare meat as I can afford. So on this occasion I used ham from the Farmer’s Choice website in this recipe, which is free-range and brilliant quality. Check out their Christmas range for inspiration this season.