how to do ham ...
Servings: 8 (6 - 10)
ingredients:
- 1.500-2.000 g mild-cured ham
for cooking Nigella's ham:
- 2.000-2.500 ml Coke (aka Coca-Cola)
- 2 red onions (big ones - roughly chopped)
for cooking Lorraine's ham:
- 2.000-2.500 ml cold water
- 1 tbsp peppercorns (mixed)
- 2 bay leaves
- a piece of fresh ginger (about 5-6 cm - roughly sliced)
- 2-3 star anises
- 1 tbsp cloves
- 2 dried chilis
- 10-15 stems dried or fresh lemongrass
preparing the ham:
- lots of cloves
for the glacing of Nigella's ham:
- 3 tbsp sugar beet syrup or honey
- 3 tbsp mustard (hot & spicy, but not sweet)
- salt & pepper (to taste)
for the glacing of Lorraine's ham:
- 2 cloves of garlic (pressed)
- 50-60 ml orange juice (juice of about half an orange)
- zest of half an orange
- 125 g honey or sugar beet syrup
- 175 g brown sugar
- 1 dried chili
- 1 tsp 5-spices powder
- 100 ml soy sauce
- salt & pepper (to taste)
how to:
- Put the ham - skin down - in a fitting pot w/ lid. Add all the ingredients for cooking the ham. The ham shall be covered w/ liquid. Add some more liquid if necessary.
- Bring to a boil. Cover the pot & let the ham simmer for 90 - 120 min (depending on its size).
- Take the ham out of the pot & save the liquid for later. (Concerning the flavoured cooking liquid: you can use it as you like ... maybe a basis for some sauce!)
- Carefully cut off the skin & the fat underneath - only a fat layer of about 5 mm shall remain.
- Cut the fat layer in diamond shape & pin a clove in each crossing.
for Nigella's glacing:
- Mix the mustard & the syrup. Add salt & pepper to taste.
for Lorraine's glacing:
- Mix the ingredients for the glaze in a pot & bring it to a boil.
- Let it simmer about 20-30 min.
for the finish of the ham:
- Put the ham on a baking tray or in a casserole - ready for the oven session.
- Cover the ham generously w/ the glacing.
- Let it rest until you'll need it for finishing (up to some hours or overnight). Don't put it in the fridge.
- Let the ham heat up in the oven at 200°C for about 45 - 60 min.
- Put it under the grill (220 - 240° C) for about 5 min & watch; stop the grilling when the ham starts burning (aka turning black).
- Put the ham on a cutting board; remove the cloves with a pair of tweezers & cut into slices.
Notes
Servings: depending on the size of the ham ... (at least: 6 ... up to 10!)
Cook time: it's the cooking of the ham & the following oven session - about 2 - 3 h (depending on the size of the ham). The cooking of the glacing isn't included.