Christmas ham in Coca-Cola

This recipe will always raise a few eyebrows. Famously penned by Nigella, it's a go-to tradition for our Christmas lunch!

Ingredients

2kg raw gammon piece
1 onion, peeled and cut in half
2 litres Coca-Cola
A handful of cloves
1 heaped tbsp black treacle
2 tsp English mustard powder
2 tbsp brown sugar

Method

(Skip this step if you like your ham salty!) Put the gammon in a pan covered with cold water, bring to the boil, then tip into a colander in the sink and start from there.
Put the gammon in a pan, skin-side down if it fits like that, add the onion, then pour over the Coke.
Bring to the boil, reduce to a good simmer, put the lid on, though not tightly, and cook for just under 2 ½ hours. If your joint is larger or smaller, work out the timing by reckoning on an hour per kg, remembering that its going to get a quick blast in the over later.
Meanwhile, pre-heat the over to 240°C.
When the ham has had its time in the pan, take it out and let it cool a little for ease of handling.
Then remove the skin, leaving a thin layer of fat. Score the fat with a sharp knife to make fairly large diamond shapes, and stud each diamond with a clove.
Then carefully spread the treacle over the bark-budded skin, taking care not to dislodge the cloves.
Gently pat the mustard and sugar onto the sticky fat. Cook in a tinfoil-lined roasting dish for approx. 10 mins or until the glaze is burnished and bubbly.
Should you want to do the braising stage in advance and then let the ham cool, clove and glaze it and give it 30-40 mins, from room temperature, at 180°C, turning up the heat towards the end if you think it needs it.

Recipe by Nigella Lawson

Christmas ham in Coca-Cola

This recipe will always raise a few eyebrows. Famously penned by Nigella, it's a go-to tradition for our Christmas lunch!

6 servings

3 hours

30 mins

Ingredients

2kg raw gammon piece
1 onion, peeled and cut in half
2 litres Coca-Cola
A handful of cloves
1 heaped tbsp black treacle
2 tsp English mustard powder
2 tbsp brown sugar

Method

(Skip this step if you like your ham salty!) Put the gammon in a pan covered with cold water, bring to the boil, then tip into a colander in the sink and start from there.
Put the gammon in a pan, skin-side down if it fits like that, add the onion, then pour over the Coke.
Bring to the boil, reduce to a good simmer, put the lid on, though not tightly, and cook for just under 2 ½ hours. If your joint is larger or smaller, work out the timing by reckoning on an hour per kg, remembering that its going to get a quick blast in the over later.
Meanwhile, pre-heat the over to 240°C.
When the ham has had its time in the pan, take it out and let it cool a little for ease of handling.
Then remove the skin, leaving a thin layer of fat. Score the fat with a sharp knife to make fairly large diamond shapes, and stud each diamond with a clove.
Then carefully spread the treacle over the bark-budded skin, taking care not to dislodge the cloves.
Gently pat the mustard and sugar onto the sticky fat. Cook in a tinfoil-lined roasting dish for approx. 10 mins or until the glaze is burnished and bubbly.
Should you want to do the braising stage in advance and then let the ham cool, clove and glaze it and give it 30-40 mins, from room temperature, at 180°C, turning up the heat towards the end if you think it needs it.

Recipe by Nigella Lawson