A baked ham is great for Christmas, it is fabulous served hot or cold and the ultimate leftover meat! We bake ham all year round and have experimented with various cooking methods, times and glazes to finally come up with this-  The Ultimate Baked Ham Recipe! Though this recipe takes a while to cook, the preparation time in minimal and the little effort is hugely rewarding. Generally speaking, home baked ham is the ultimate in money-saving activities when you compare prices with shop bought sliced ham. If you want to feed the family frugally and start saving, this is a great place to start and this recipe not only provides lunches for the week but can also be a great centre-piece for Boxing day dinner! Sainsburys are currently selling gammon joints at £3/kg (that’s half price!) but even at the usual £6/kg, is still half the cost of cooked, sliced ham!

Ingredients:

• 2.5-3kg boneless gammon joint (unsmoked)
• 3 medium carrots, chopped into large chunks
• 1 white onion, quartered
• 1 tsp black peppercorns
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 3 bay leaves, dry or fresh
• Cloves- optional if you like them (we don’t!)

For the glaze:

• 100g soft brown sugar
• 75ml Marsala wine
• 125ml honey

Method:

• Choose a saucepan large enough for the gammon to be completely immersed in water
• Soak the gammon overnight
• Refresh the water and chuck in the carrot, onion, peppercorns and bay leaves
• Snap the cinnamon in half and chuck that in too
• Bring to a boil and simmer for 3 hours, topping up the water if necessary so the gammon is always covered
• Skim off any froth from the top and for best results, allow to cool completely in the stock (this can be overnight), or continue
• Place the gammon in a baking tray lined with foil (for easy cleaning) and remove the string
• Cut away any skin and thick fat, leaving just a thin layer
• Score the surface in a diamond pattern (criss-cross) and for a traditional look and flavour, stud each diamond with a clove
• Strain the stock and keep for soups or sauces
• Preheat the oven to 170C
• Put all the glaze ingredients into a small saucepan and heat to a simmer for a couple of minutes until you have a syrup

• Pour some of the glaze over the ham (approx 1/4) and roast for 10 minutes (the glaze is added in stages to stop it burning)
• Pour over another 1/4 of the glaze, return to the oven for another 10 minutes

• Pour over the remaining glaze, return to the oven for another 10 minutes
• Baste the meat, return for a final 15 minutes, total baking time 45 minutes

 ⇒ 

• If serving hot, allow the meat to rest for 10-15 minutes before serving

Enjoy your Ultimate Baked Ham!!

Previous recipes: Quick Leek and Potato Soup with Parmesan Crackers, Baked Cod with Root Veg Chips, Tomato Soup with Crispy Ham Croutons, Quick Bbq Chicken & Salad Wraps, Super Easy Leek & Bacon Baked Risotto, Salmon Noodle Stir-Fry, Butternut Squash Pasta Bake, One Pot Mild Thai Green Curry, Chicken, Tomato & Borlotti Bean Stew with Chicken Crisps, Quick Tuna & Olive Spaghetti, Easy Chicken & Bacon Risotto, Spaghetti & Mozzarella Meatballs, Gluten & Dairy Free Mini Fish Pies, Toad in the Hole with a Twist, Pop Chicken Nuggets, Chicken ‘Kinda’ Kiev  Crunchy Salmon Fishcakes, The Best Bolognese, Quick Spinach and Watercress Soup, Chicken & Spinach Pasta Bake, Easy Bacon and Monkfish Risotto, Hake in a Cheesy Sauce, Roasted Vegetable Pasta Sauce, Chinese Salmon, Chorizo and veg pasta & Homemade fish (or chicken) fingers.

Click here for more quick, cheap and healthy dinner ideas and follow my blog for regular Kids Tea Tuesdays! xx