I know that the recipe for Nigella Lawson's Coca Cola Ham may seem a little crazy at first but, trust me, this is a winning combination.
By soaking your ham joint in Coke as it cooks, I've found that you add a delicious sweet taste to the meat, which works brilliantly when combined with ham's natural saltiness.
After cooking the ham in Nigella's weird and wonderful way, I have found that the meat falls apart and is incredibly juicy and succulent.
I have taking to preparing this on Sunday evenings, ready for hubby's lunch boxes for the week ahead. Simple, yet extremely effective and very, very tasty. I guarantee that this will get you the best ham sarnies for your summer picnics, ever...
Sam x
NIGELLA LAWSON'S HAM IN COCA COLA
Ingredients:
For the ham:2 kg mild-cure gammon joint
1 onion (peeled and cut in half)
2 litres Coke (full-fat kind)
For the glaze:
1 handful of cloves
1 tbsp black treacle
2 tsp mustard powder (I used wholegrain mustard instead)
2 tbsp demerara sugar
Method:
1) Place the gammon in a pan, then add the onion and pour over the Coke. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer and loosely place a lid over the top and cook for just under 2½ hours.
2) In the meantime, preheat the oven to 240C. Once the ham is cooked, remove it from the pan and then cut off the skin, leaving a thin layer of fat. Score the fat with a sharp knife, then stud with cloves.
3) Smooth the treacle over the skin, then rub in the mustard and sugar. Cook in a foil-lined tin for around 10 minutes, or until the glaze is bubbly. Cut and serve, because everything is best fresh from the oven, right?
