Christmas food: Spiced glazed ham recipe

Serves 8, can be halved

Ingredients

5 kg unsmoked, presoaked gammon joint (ideally with bone in)

2 tsp. ground black pepper

8 fat cloves garlic, peeled

30g ginger, peeled

2 tsp. cumin powder

1 Bay leaf

2 tsp. wine vinegar

1 onion, sliced

2 black cardamom pods (optional)

Spiced Glaze

100g jaggery or light muscovado sugar

1/2 tsp. cumin seeds, roasted and powdered powder

11/2 tsp. garam masala

2 tsp. ginger paste

2 small cloves garlic, crushed

4 tsp. dijon mustard

2-3 tsp. Worcestershire sauce or until you have a thickish paste

¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Handful of flaked almonds (optional), toasted

Blend together the garlic, ginger, vinegar and powdered spices until smooth.

Place the gammon in a pot large enough to hold it comfortably. Add the spice blend, onion, bay leaf and black cardamom pods if using. Add enough water to cover the joint. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer gently for 20 minutes per 500g depending on your joint. In this case cook for 3 hours 20 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 68C. Spoon off any scum that forms and top up with water as necessary.

Meanwhile, stir together the ingredient for the glaze. It should be thick enough to hold its form but easily spreadable.

Lift out of the water and leave to cool for 15 minutes. Preheat the oven to 220C. Pslice the skin but not the fat off the joint using a sharp knife. Place in your roasting tin, add about ½” of the liquor in the bottom of the pan (you can use the rest in a curry, to cook rice in or in a soup). Brush the glaze over the top and place in the oven. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until beautiful and golden, basting every now and again with the pan juices and baste again with the glaze every 8-10m or so.

Sprinkle over the almonds and serve.

Image credit: Lisa Linder