Spice Up Your Christmas Feast With This Glazed Smoked Christmas Ham

Ingredients

3-4 kg smoked ham on the bone, with knuckle left on (cook for 45mins per kg)
2 carrots
2 sticks of celery
2 fresh bay leaves
16 black peppercorns
1 bouquet garni, (1 piece of leek, 1 stick of celery, 1 fresh bay leaf, 1 sprig of fresh thyme all tied up)
2 oranges
8 tbsps of honey
1 tsp of wholegrain mustard
1 tbsp of dijon mustard
1 star anise

Would your Christmas feast really be complete without a succulent ham adorning the table?

We sure don't think so.

But why stop there? Why not go one step further and create this gorgeously glazed smoked ham for the best dinner of the year?

Your family and friends would be seriously, seriously impressed with this one.

Instructions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 170C. (325F/Gas 3)

Step 2

Place the gammon in a large, snug-fitting pot and cover with water. Roughly chop and throw in the carrots and celery, with the bay leaves, peppercorns and bouquet garni. Peel the zest from the oranges and add to the water, then squeeze the juice.

Step 3

Place the pot over a high heat, bring to the boil, then turn the heat down and simmer for 3 hours with a lid on, skimming away any froth that rises to the surface, as and when needed.

Step 4

When the time is up, remove from the heat and allow to cool for half an hour in the broth – this will allow the flavours to really penetrate the meat.

Step 5

Carefully move the meat to a board and, and use a knife take off the skin. Depending on the breed and quality of the pig, you should have a nice layer of fat. Remove some of the fat as well, leaving about 1cm.

Step 6

Score the ham in a crisscross fashion with a sharp knife all over the fat and stud it with the cloves. Now make the glaze. In a saucepan on a medium heat add in the honey, wholegrain mustard, dijon mustard and the star anise

Step 7

Allow it to bubble and get sticky for 10-15mins. Then pour it over the ham coating it all over. Place the ham into the oven for 20-30 minutes making sure to baste it regularly. Once golden and crispy remove from the oven and allow to sit for 10-15 mins before carving.

Carve yourself a thick slice and enjoy.

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