Cola ham for Christmas

Name: Cola ham for Christmas
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 3 h 40 min
Total time: 4 h 10 min
Yield: Serves 14
Cuisine: British recipes
Ingredients: 3kg unsmoked gammon from the thick end of the leg, deboned and rolled (ask your butcher to do this); 4 litres cola; 1 onion, halved; 2 star anise; 6 black peppercorns; 15 cloves; 4 tbsp clear honey; 1 tsp cinnamon; 1 tsp ground ginger; 1 tbsp soy sauce; 1 tbsp English mustard powder; 2 tbsp demerara sugar

3 Reviews

Portion size: Serves 14
Takes 30 minutes to make, 3 hours 30-40 minutes to cook, plus cooling
Difficulty: easy

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Our cola Christmas ham is a hit year in, year out. A modern take on a Boxing Day ham recipe, this sweet-savoury combo is sure to be a hit for you, too.

Or, for a super simple recipe with moreishly crunchy results, check out our crackling ham.

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Ingredients

3kg unsmoked gammon from the thick end of the leg, deboned and rolled (ask your butcher to do this)
4 litres cola
1 onion, halved
2 star anise
6 black peppercorns
15 cloves
4 tbsp clear honey
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp English mustard powder
2 tbsp demerara sugar

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Method

Put the gammon in a large, deep pan and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil, then drain. Return the gammon to the clean pan and pour over the cola, topping up with cold water to cover if necessary. Add the onion, star anise and peppercorns.
Bring to the boil, then turn down the heat, cover with a tight-fitting lid and simmer for 3 hours or until the ham is cooked through. Remove the ham from the liquid and leave to cool. (Discard the liquid.)
Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan180°C/gas 6. Once the ham is cool enough to handle, carefully remove the skin using a small, sharp knife, leaving a good even layer of fat. Score the fat in a diamond pattern and stud each diamond with a clove.
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Mix the remaining ingredients and brush generously over the ham. Put it in a baking tray and cook for 20-30 minutes, basting 2-3 times with the leftover glaze, until sticky.