Mary Berry Christmas Ham Recipes

GORDON RAMSAY'S HONEY GLAZED HAM RECIPE

Steps:

• Put the gammon in a large saucepan and pour on enough cold water to cover. Add the carrots, leek, onion, peppercorns, coriander seeds, cinnamon sticks and bay leaves. Bring to the boil, turn down to a simmer and cook for 3 hours, topping up with more boiling water if necessary. Skim off the froth and any impurities that rise to the surface from time to time. If cooking in advance, let the ham cool in the stock overnight. Otherwise, allow it to cool a little, then remove from the pan. Strain the stock (and save for soup etc).
• To make the glaze, put the sugar, Madeira, sherry vinegar, and honey into a pan and stir over a low heat. Bring to the boil, lower the heat and simmer for 3-4 minutes until you have a glossy dark syrup. Do not leave unattended, as it will easily boil over.
• Preheat the oven to 170°C/Gas Lift the ham into a roasting tin. Snip and remove the strings and then cut away the skin from the ham, leaving behind an even layer of fat. Lightly score the fat all over in a criss-cross, diamond pattern, taking care not to cut into the meat. Stud the centre of each diamond with a clove. Pour half of the glaze over the ham and roast for 15 minutes.
• Pour on the rest of the glaze and return to the oven for another 25-35 minutes until the ham is golden brown, basting with the pan juices frequently. It also helps to turn the pan as you baste to ensure that the ham colours evenly.
• Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 15 minutes before carving.

SLOW COOKED GAMMON WITH MUSTARD SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 160C/140C Fan/Gas 3.
• To make the gammon, put the gammon joint in a saucepan that fits snugly. Pour in the ginger beer and 1.2 litres/2 pints of water or just enough to cover the gammon. Cover with a lid, bring to the boil and boil for a few minutes. Transfer to the oven for about 2½ hours or until cooked through. Alternatively, simmer over a low heat for about 2½ hours.
• Increase the oven temperature to 220C/200C Fan/Gas 7.
• Remove the gammon joint from the liquid and, using a sharp knife, slice off the skin, just leaving a very thin layer.
• Line a roasting tin with kitchen foil, sit the gammon, fatiside up in the tin and wrap the foil around the meat just leaving the top showing. Score the fat and drizzle over the ginger syrup. Scatter over the chopped ginger and press lightly so the top fat is covered.
• Bake in the hot oven for about 25 minutes or until golden and glazed on top.
• To make the sauce, mix all the ingredients together and season with salt and pepper.
• Slice the gammon into thin slices and serve hot or cold with the sauce.

CHRISTMAS HAM WITH STICKY GINGER GLAZE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to fan 160C/ conventional 180C/gas 4. Weigh the ham and calculate the cooking time at 25 minutes per 500g. Scatter the onion, ginger, thyme and cloves over the base of a large, deep roasting tin. Put the soaked ham on top and add water to 3-5cm deep. Cover the whole ham and tin with two or three layers of foil (making a tent over the ham to allow the steam to circulate), sealing the foil around the edges of the tin. Bake for 1½ hours, then reduce the oven to fan 140C/conventional 160C/gas 3 for the remaining 2 hours 40 minutes of the cooking time. When the ham is cooked, remove it from the oven. Leave to rest for 30 minutes.
• Now make the glaze. Put the sugar and 100ml/3½⁄2fl oz water in a medium pan. Heat gently until the sugar melts, add the fresh ginger and simmer for 3-4 minutes. Add the kumquats and cook for a few more minutes, just until they soften. Scoop out and reserve the kumquats, discard the ginger and add the stem ginger strips. Bring to the boil, then turn down the heat and let the mixture bubble for 3-5 minutes until thick and reduced by just under half. Remove from the heat and set aside.
• Line a clean roasting tin with foil and oil it. Unwrap the ham and put it in the foil-lined tin. Cut off the skin, leaving a layer of fat all over. Using a sharp knife, score the fat into a diamond criss-cross pattern. Turn up the oven to fan 200C/conventional 220C/gas 7.
• Rub ground ginger over ham, then brush over all but a couple of spoonfuls of the glaze, distributing stem ginger strips. Scatter over kumquat slices, studding cloves through some to secure. Drizzle over remaining glaze. Roast for another 20 minutes or until golden and sticky and kumquats start to colour. Serve garnished with halved kumquats and sprigs of bay leaves. If serving hot, allow to rest for 15-20 minutes before carving.

MARY BERRY'S SAGE & ONION STUFFING

Steps:

• Place the chopped onion into a saucepan. Cover with the cold water. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes. Drain very well.
• Return the ovens to the saucepan. Stir in the butter and the remaining ingredients, tossing to combine and seasoning to taste.
• Allow to cool completely if you are using it to stuff a bird. If you are cooking it separately. Place into a buttered dish. Dot butter over the top.
• Cover and bake in a 180*C/350*F/gas mark 4 oven for 25 to 30 minutes.
• Uncover and bake for a further 10 minutes to crisp up the top if desired.