Open fires, hot chocolate and carols – there are lots of things we love about Christmas time and naturally, one of our favourites is the delicious food we get to indulge in. Often a roast turkey steals the show, or perhaps the Christmas pudding burning off its brandy but one dish we don’t think gets enough credit is a gloriously sticky honey glazed ham.
To make this honey glazed ham you will need
It is likely that Christmas may be a little different to the norm this year but that doesn’t mean we have to sacrifice all our favourite festive traditions. We think that this is a great dish to serve on Boxing Day as it doesn’t need a lot of attention from you so you can enjoy some much deserved downtime after the Christmas Day rush.
We serve our glazed ham with a ramekin of homemade cranberry sauce and warm crusty bread, a selection of cheese (don’t forget your cheese knives!) and some salt and pepper crackers. This recipe helps keep the ham beautifully moist and as it roasts in the oven your home will be filled with the most gloriously festive scent though don’t be fooled, everyone may have filled up on the Christmas dinner the day before… but this won’t hang around for long!
To take all the stress out of cooking this for Christmas we recommend double checking beforehand that you have a stockpot and lid big enough to fully submerge your joint in and a quality carving knife set to make serving a breeze.
We may have made this for Christmas but this is a great recipe all year round. We love it in sandwiches and salads as well as in pasta dishes, quiches and even with a fried egg and chips!
For more recipe inspiration you can check out our recipe section filled with lots of great dishes that you can make at home. This recipe has been adapted from this Hairy Bikers one.
Christmas Honey Glazed Ham
Equipment
- Stockpot with lid
- Roasting tin
- Chopping board
- Chefs knife
- Paring knife
- Pastry brush
Ingredients
For the gammon
- 3 kg unsmoked boneless gammon joint (tied)
- 2 onions (halved)
- 2 carrots (peeled and chopped into rounds)
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 celery stalks (chopped into 5cm pieces)
- 4 bay leaves
- 1 handful cloves
- 1 tbsp black peppercorns
For the glaze
- 6 tbsp runny honey
- 4 tbsp English mustard
Instructions
- Gently place the gammon joint into a large stockpot, cover with cold water and bring to the boil.
- Drain away the water and impurities, before covering with cold water once more and adding all the gammon ingredients. Bring to the boil and reduce to a simmer for 20 minutes per 500g (2 hours for a 3kg joint).
- Remove the gammon from the water, discard the vegetables and leave to rest for 15 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 200°C and line a roasting tray with foil. Leave enough around the edges to come halfway up the joint to keep the roasting juices in.
- Using a paring knife, remove the string and rind from the gammon fat leaving as much fat intact as possible. Score the joint in a diamond pattern before studding with a clove at every point the lines cross one another.
- Place the gammon in the foil-lined tray, checking once more that the foil reaches halfway up the joint.
- Mix the honey and mustard together in a bowl before using a pastry brush to cover the top and one side of the joint with the glaze. Place in the oven and roast for 10 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and reglaze the top of the joint and the remaining side before returning to the oven with the opposite side facing the back. Roast for a further 10-15 minutes.
- The joint is cooked when it's a lovely glossy golden brown colour. Remove from the oven and allow to sit for 15 minutes, saving the juices from the pan.
- Warm the juices through, carve the meat and pour over the warmed juice just before serving.
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