Nigella's 'Ham in...' recipes

[Seahorse]

For Hazel (and anyone else interested of course!).


Ham in Coca Cola

2kg mild cure gammon
2 litres Coca Cola (the proper stuff, not diet) save 2 tablespoons
1 onion, peeled and halved
100g breadcrumbs
100g dark muscavado sugar
1 tablespoon mustard powder
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard


Put the ham and onion in appropriate size pan, add the coke (less the 2 tblsp) boil, then simmer for about 2 1/2 hours

Near end of this time, put oven on at gas 7/210 C

Keep the cooking liquid* but transfer ham to roasting dish

Remove skin, leaving thin layer of fat

Mix breadcrumbs, sugar and mustards slowly with the 2 spoonfuls of coke to form a thick paste.

Spread on ham and cook in the oven for 10 - 15 mins, or until crust is just set

*use remaining cooking liquid as a base for black bean soup


Ham in Cherry Cola

2kg mild cure gammon
6 cans cherry Coke
1 onion
16 whole cloves
3-4 tablespoons cherry jam
1 teaspoon pimenton dulce or smoked paprika
1/2 tea spoon red wine vinegar

Method as above* - then stud the ham with the cloves, put the jam, paprika and vinegar into a pan and bring to boil, stirring throughout. When thick and syrupy, pour over ham and bake for about 15 mins

*the remaining cooking liquid is too sweet for soup (says Nigella) but great for cooking red cabbage in


Ham in Ginger Ale

5.4kg joint mild cure gammon
7 litres dry ginger ale
350g chunky ginger preserve
2 tablespoons hot English mustard
100g soft dark brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

Method as above (simmer longer for a larger ham, obviously) then mix the ginger preserve, mustard, sugar and cloves to a thick paste, coat ham and bake for about 15 mins


I've made the Cola one and the Ginger Ale one and would definitely recommend both, although I found the ginger one just a little better. I also found it very straightforward to adapt it all to whatever size of ham I had (the ginger recipe above is for an enormous one!). The hams are superb cold the next day too.

[shirlthegirl43]

Those sound nice Seahorse, thanks for posting them. Any chance of the black bean soup recipe please?

I usually nearly cook my ham by boiling then place in a roasting tin - de-skin, score the fat, spread with english mustard, smother with honey, pour a can of strongbow cider in the roasting tin and roast in a hot oven till the top has formed a 'crust'. Yummy hot or cold with roast spuds and steamed veggies.

[Seahorse]

Oooh, honey and cider sounds lovely Shirl! Will give that one a try too!

Here's the soup recipe

450g black turtle beans
2 bay leaves
200ml extra virgin olive oil
2 large red peppers
2 shallots
2 onions
8 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons dreid oregano
zest of one lime
1/2 tablespoon light or dark muscavado sugar
2 tablespoons dry sherry
stock from making ham in Cola or approx 2 litres water

to serve: limes, red onion, coriander, sour cream


Place beans and bay leaves in a pan with the liquid, boil, then simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, adding more liquid if necessary.

Meanwhile, chop the peppers, onions and shallots and saute in the oil for about 15 mins. Add the garlic, cumin, oregano and lime zest and saute for another 5 miins. Transfer to blender and puree until smooth.

When the beans are almost tender, add the puree, sugar and salt (if wished). Cook for about another 20 mins, or until beans are tender. Add the sherry.

Serve with seperate bowls of limes, red onion, coriander and sour cream so that people can add them to their own tastes.

[Skotch]

I can personally testify to the excellent ham resulting from cooking gammon in Coca Cola. Superb flavour and texture and yes, goes well as part of a 'cold meat collation' and also with fried eggs for breakfast. I used the cooking liquor to make a ham and kidney & Haricot bean bean soup/stew (I threw in an additional ham bone I had to help with the flavour). A most unusual but pleasant flavour

Skotch

[Hazel at the Hill]

Hey, Seahorse - thank you! Printed the recipes this morning and gave them to mum after she'd finished the ironing (well, it keeps her out of mischeif! )

She's delighted and says thank you - she'll report back!

[Burnzie]

Have used the ginger ale method a couple of times and it tastes superb.

Also get great flavour using cider.

Burnzie

[Lizzy]

Thanks for the recipes, I have tried Ham in Coke, I loved it, will try the Black Bean Soup recipe. I have tried a cup of orange juice with water, when simmering gammon on top of the cooker, along with a bay leaf, black peppercorns (6), and onion. This is nice for a change. I sometimes add a carrot as well.

[wellie]

Thanks Seahorse, really enjoyed reading those - they sound scrummy!

[Don Vincenzo]

Thanks for the recipes, I have tried Ham in Coke, I loved it, will try the Black Bean Soup recipe. I have tried a cup of orange juice with water, when simmering gammon on top of the cooker, along with a bay leaf, black peppercorns (6), and onion. This is nice for a change. I sometimes add a carrot as well.

Hi Lizzy
please don't forget to put a couple of celery sticks as well.
Regards
Don Vincenzo

[Lizzy]

Thanks Don, I had forgotten to mention celery, I do add as well. I cooked this today but added extra orange juice. Made split pea soup out of the stock, delicious.

[Winged one]

I do similar to ShirlTheGirl, but my glaze (varies but the rough jist is) brown sugar mixed to a paste with some JUICE (not syrup) from a tin of pineapple. Stud the ham with cloves and put a few poineapple rings on top (well, you've opened the tin now, haven't you?!), hammy/pineapply mess on top and bake in the hot oven for 20-25 minutes.

I like the idea of cider over it too though.....(and I know MIL uses mustard and honey on hers, but no liquid).

[Seahorse]

Did the cherry coke version for the first time today - GORGEOUS! For me, just the right combo of sweet and savoury. I'll be sitting on my hands in an effort not to guzzle the leftovers later!