Horseshoe Gammon Joint 2.2kg

1 x Unsmoked Horseshoe Gammon Joint approx 2.2kg

Cocoa Cola Ham. 

Look no futher than the domestic goddess herself, Nigella Lawson, for our favourite crowd pleasing Ham recipe. 

 

2.2kg horseshoe gammon
1 onion peeled and cut in half
2 litre-bottle cola

for the glaze
handful cloves
1 heaped tablespoon black treacle
2 teasps English mustard powder
2 tablespoons demerara sugar

Put the gammon in a pan, skin side down if it fits like that, add the onion then pour over the Coke. Bring to the boil, reduce to a good simmer, put the lid on, though not tightly, and cook for just under 2 1/2 hours. If your joint is larger or smaller work out timing by reckoning on an hour a kilo altogether, remembering that it's going to get a quick blast in the oven later. But do take into account that if the gammon's been in the fridge right up to the moment you cook it, you will have to give a good 15 or so minutes' extra so that the interior is properly cooked. Meanwhile preheat oven to 240C/gas mark 9.

When the ham's had its time (and ham it is now it's cooked) take it out of the pan and let cool a little for ease of handling. (Indeed you can let it cool completely then finish off the cooking at some later stage if you want). Then remove skin, leaving a thin layer of fat. 

Score the fat with a sharp knife to make fairly large diamond shapes, and stud each diamond with a clove. Then carefully spread the treacle over the bark-budded skin taking care not to dislodge the cloves. Then gently pat the mustard and sugar onto the sticky fat. Cook, in a foil lined roasting tin for approximately 10 minutes or till the glaze is burnished and bubbly.

Should you want to do the braising stage in advance and then let the ham cool, clove and glaze it and give it 30-40 minutes, from room temperature, at 180C/gas mark 4, turning up the heat towards the end if you think it needs it.