Ham is one of the most versatile meats, and good ham can be revelatory in its deliciousness. Unfortunately, mediocrity is more the norm, and for this reason I urge you to seek out the very best you can from farming families with generations of tradition to fall back on.
The main event: Roast glazed ham (pictured above)
Ham really is the perfect festive meat – a proper ham is truly a sight to behold, be it on your Christmas table or year round as your Sunday roast. And even in the largest households it will last for days. Ham has a distinct and wonderful flavour that will happily go with almost anything: cheese, carbs, vegetables, fruits, other meats and even fish. Here’s how to prepare one with a selection of homemade glazes.
For the meat
1 cured ham (5-7kg), soaked for a few hours
500ml water
Glaze recipe of choice (see below)
300g fresh pain d’épices breadcrumbs
Honey glaze
100ml water
100ml orange juice
100ml clear honey
100g light muscovado sugar
Spice glaze
200ml water
200g dark muscovado sugar
10g fresh ginger
5g cinnamon stick, crushed
5g star anise, crushed
5g cloves, crushed
5g fennel seeds, crushed
Treacle glaze
100g light muscovado sugar
100ml treacle
100ml golden syrup
100ml water
Citrus glaze
100ml orange juice
100ml lemon juice
100ml lime juice
100ml water
100g light muscovado sugar
Apple glaze
200ml apple juice
200ml cider
100ml water
100g light muscovado sugar
Raisin glaze
100g seedless raisins
100ml Pedro Ximenez sherry
100ml water
100ml clear honey
100g light muscovado sugar
1 Put all the glaze ingredients into a pan and bring to a simmer, remove from the heat, and blend to a smooth paste. Preheat the oven to 160C/325F/gas mark 3.
2 Roast the ham in a tray containing 300ml water for around 20 minutes.
3 Remove from the oven and peel off the skin – you may need a sharp knife. Pour half the glaze recipe over the ham, return it to the oven and roast for a further 45 minutes per kilo.
4 Halfway through, remove from the oven and pour the other half of the glaze over the top and coat generously with the breadcrumbs.
5 When the time is up, remove from the oven and transfer the ham to a clean dish to rest for 30 minutes.
6 Drain the glaze from the roasting tray, pass it through a fine sieve and reduce to a sticky syrup before serving alongside the ham.
The stylish brunch: Eggs benedict
Eggs benedict is said to have been created in a New York hotel to combat a hangover. As these use up Christmas leftovers, that’s really quite fitting.
Serves 4
250g leftover cooked ham, thickly sliced
A knob of butter
8 large eggs
4 English muffins
A pinch of cayenne pepper
For the hollandaise
4 egg yolks
20ml lemon juice
20ml white wine vinegar
A splash of Tabasco
250g salted butter, cold, cut into two big lumps
1 Gently warm the ham slices in a little butter in a frying pan and cover them to keep them warm.
2 For the hollandaise, combine the egg yolks, lemon juice, vinegar and Tabasco. Add to a small saucepan with the salted butter over a very low heat. Stir continuously as the butter slowly melts. Take off the heat if it’s getting too hot. Stir vigorously over a very low heat until the hollandaise is thick. Take off the heat and season to taste.
3 Bring a wide pan filled with about 12cm water and a splash of extra vinegar to a very low boil. Crack each egg into a ramekin, then slip the eggs gently into the water and poach for 3 minutes. Remove from the water and drain on a plate. At this point, you can trim the untidy edges of the egg with scissors, taking care not to break the yolk.
4 Slice the muffins and toast, divide the warm ham slices generously between them and put the poached eggs on top with a generous spoonful of hollandaise over each poached egg. Lightly dust with cayenne and serve.
The Asian breakfast: Nasi goreng
A spicy, savoury and substantial breakfast, this is one of my favourite leftover dishes.
Serves 4
1 tsp dried shrimp paste
1 tbsp dark brown muscovado sugar
2 button shallots, finely sliced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 red chillies, deseeded and chopped
150g leftover cooked ham with plenty of fat, chopped
200g cooked rice
A handful of frozen peas
2 tbsp kecap manis
Sea salt
4 eggs
1 bunch spring onions
½ cucumber, cut into half moons
1 Gently toast the shrimp paste in a nonstick wok, then blend with the sugar, shallots, garlic and chillies and blend until smooth. Reserve this paste.
2 Heat half the ham fat in the wok over medium-high heat. Add the cooked rice, breaking up the clumps, and cook, stirring, until heated through – about 5-6 minutes.
3 Add the chopped ham, peas, reserved paste and the kecap manis, and cook, stirring, until evenly combined – for about 30 seconds more. Season with salt and divide among serving plates.
4 Return the wok to the heat and add the remaining ham fat. Add the eggs, season with salt, and cook until the yolks are just cooked through and crisp at the edges – about 4 minutes.
5 Put an egg on top of each serving, and serve with slices of cucumber and spring onions on the side.
The sofa supper: Monte cristo sandwich
Ham and cheese sandwiched between two slices of – wait for it – French toast ... why, it’s genius!
Makes 2
2 eggs
Salt and black pepper
4 slices sturdy white bread (or white bread of preference)
2 tbsp mustard
2 tbsp mayonnaise
200g leftover cooked ham, thickly sliced
50g gruyere cheese, grated
2 tbsp butter
Icing sugar, for dusting
Maple syrup, to serve
1 Beat the eggs in a shallow dish (large enough to fit a sandwich). Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
2 Assemble the sandwiches, with mustard, mayonnaise, ham, cheese, salt and pepper to your preference. Slightly compress the sandwich.
3 Melt the butter in a frying pan over a medium heat. Dip and coat each sandwich in beaten egg, then put them in the frying pan. Cook the sandwiches for 2-3 minutes on each side, until they’re browned to your liking and the cheese has melted.
4 Dust with icing sugar and serve with a sauceboat of warm maple syrup on the side.
- Richard H Turner is author of Hog: Proper pork recipes from the snout to the squeak (Mitchell Beazley)
