Donal Skehan Home Cook Christmas airs Friday, 22 December at 6.30pm on RTÉ One.
Ingredients
If you don't have a pot big enough for the whole ham then you can do this in the oven. Line a large roasting tin with foil and a wire rack and place the ham on top.
Put the aromatics and cider under the ham and cover with a large tent of foil. Bring to the boil over a hob then transfer to a low oven (120˚C/100˚C fan/250˚F/Gas Mark ½) and roast overnight for about 12 hours.
Allow to cool before stripping the skin. Keep the juices to make ham soup later in the Christmas period!
Serves: 8-10
Time: 5 & ½ hours + cooling time
- 1 x 6-7 kg cured smoked ham, on the bone
- 1 large onion, halved
- 3 fresh bay leaves
- 5 star anise
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
- 1 tsp allspice berries
- 1l dry cider
- Small handful of cloves, to stud
- 1 tsp mustard powder
- 1 tbsp demerara sugar
For the glaze:
- 150g plum jam
- 40g soft light brown sugar
- 75ml whisky
- 2 star anise
Method
- Place the ham into a very large preserving pan/large saucepan with the onion, bay leaves, star anise, berries and cider. Top up with enough water to just about cover the ham. Cover and bring to the boil then reduce to a bare simmer and cook gently for 40 minutes per kg (4-5 hours). Leave until cool enough to handle, at this point you can leave the ham to finish the next day if you like.
- When ready to serve, strip the skin from the ham with a very sharp knife, leaving as much of the fat behind as you can and score it in a criss cross pattern.
- Heat the oven to 200˚C/180˚C fan/400°F/Gas Mark 6.
- In a small pan over a medium heat the plum jam, sugar, whisky and star anise together until smooth and glossy.
- Push a clove into all the crosses on the ham then dust the fat all over with the mustard powder. Spread with the jam mixture and scatter with the demerara sugar. Roast in the oven for 20-25 minutes (or if cooled from the day before 45 minutes to 1 hour), until sticky and golden. Serve immediately.
