Black Bee Honey Mustard Ham

Our take on a classic Honey Roast Ham is a Christmas treat for the whole family to enjoy. Serve with buttered new potatoes and braised red cabbage for a Boxing Day feast.

INGREDIENTS

Ham

750g Unsmoked gammon *remove from the fridge to come to room temp before cooking
1 Large carrot or 2 small (washed and cut into large chunks)
2 Celery stalks (washed and cut into large chunks)
2 Banana shallots (skin removed and cut in half)
2 Bay leaves
Sprig of rosemary or thyme

Glaze

2 tbsp Dijon, English or wholegrain mustard
3 tbsp Black Bee Winter Honey
Generous grinds of black pepper

Serving suggestions

New potatoes, braised red cabbage and mustard, it also goes great with chunky chips and fried eggs or simply serve with bread, good salted butter and pickles.

*For larger gammons - simply increase the simmering for 30mins per 500g and increase the glaze by 1 tbsp of mustard, 1.5 tbsp honey.

METHOD

Remove the gammon from its packaging, to help keep the ham in one piece as it cooks, tie 2-3 pieces of butcher's string around the circumference (if you don’t have any butcher's string - just skip this part). Place the gammon into a medium saucepan with enough room to ensure you can fit in all the veg and cover with cold water.

Place on a medium heat, bring to a simmer, as soon as the water is bubbling, remove from the heat and drain away all the water - this reduces the level of salt in the meat. Add the vegetables and herbs to the pan, then cover again with cold water.

Place back on a medium heat with the lid on, bring to a gentle simmer. (Whilst the ham is cooking, pre-heat the oven to 180c). Remove the pan from the heat after 30 minutes, leave to cool in the stock for a further 30 minutes before removing the ham and placing it into a small roasting tray. Leave the stock to cool completely and save - this can be used as a base to a soup or eaten as a simple broth.

Once the ham is cool enough to handle, use a sharp knife to remove the skin rind from the fat, score in a criss cross design. Combine the honey and mustard, brush all over the ham, then place in the oven on the middle rack. Roast for 15 minutes, check the ham, brush with the excess glaze that has melted off, return for a final 5-10 minutes till the skin is golden and caramelised.

Serve slices warm with buttered potatoes, braised cabbage and a generous dollop of extra mustard, it will keep well for up to a week in the fridge.

Author: @lucyrosetteturnbull