Cooking the perfect Christmas Ham

Neil Fletcher

Cooking the perfect Christmas ham is easier than people think.

Place the gammon in a large pan of water, bring to the boil and then discard the water (this helps remove salt). Cover the gammon again with water bring up to the boil, then turn the heat down once it boils and simmer (quite rapidly) for 1 hour 45 mins (for a 2kg joint). Once the time is up, leave the joint in the water to cool for 45-60 minutes.

Glaze the ham, then put the gammon in the centre of a preheated 200C oven for 20-30 minutes or until it is golden all over. If you keep it the oven for as long as you can without burning you will get a lovely golden colour and a crisp fatty crust.