sweet & sticky ham

There is something very comforting about cooking a ham on a Sunday evening and knowing it will see you through the whole week, whether in sandwiches or for dinner. I like to cook a ham at least once a month; it's delicious and sticky and such good value and SO much better than the wafer ham you buy in packets. 

A kilogram of ham is enough for the two of us but if you do require a larger piece, it's very easy to multiple the timings. 

Here is my method, inspired by my mum's delicious, sticky recipe. 

You will need:

1kg ham joint
Half onion
10 cloves
1 bay leaf
Pinch salt
A few pepper corns
Water 
Honey
Muscavado sugar

The first thing to do is boil your ham. Slice you onion in two, add the herbs and place the ham in your pan. Cover the ham in boiling water and leave to simmer for 45-60 minutes. The general rule is 30 minutes per 500g. 

Once you ham has boiled, take it out and remove the layer of fat on the top (be careful, it will be hot!). This looks like a horrible job but it's so simple. Make sure you leave a little of the fat on top as this is where you'll add your honey and sugar.

Once the fat has been removed score a cross cross pattern across the top of your cooked ham. With a spoon, rub your sugar into the slashes on top and drizzle some honey. If you want, pierce the ham with some cloves for extra flavour. 

It's not the prettiest of things but trust me, you're going to love it! 

Pop the ham into a preheated oven for a further 20ish minutes. The sugars will caramelise and run into your baking sheet but don't be alarmed if your meat smells like it's burning, it's not! If you think your ham is burning pop some tin foil over it to keep it nice. Keep an eye on it if you're worried, but really it should be fine. 

Once cooked you can serve immediately with new potatoes and seasonal veg. Or, like me, keep it chilled and enjoy in some fresh bread with some chutney and lettuce! Delicious either way around. 

It will never be a thing of beauty but my goodness will you enjoy it and it will keep you full and content all week long. 

A great start to a more savvy way of cooking at home. Enjoy! 

L.