Ham again

Hi Tom,

I often do a bacon joint like this, have done for years. I soak overnight (experience has taught me that sometimes they are nastily salty, even if the butcher says not, so it doesn't hurt), then I simmer in a big pan of water with many herbs & spices (bay, turmeric, - I said TURmeric! - mixed spice, piece of unpeeled ginger, anything to hand really; mulled wine spices or pickling spice work nicely too although I take out any chillies) for a couple of hours. Actually the last one I did (over Easter) I used two "teabags" of mulled wine spice i had in the cupboard and it worked beautifully.

Take out, allow to cool a little, peel off skin while still warm, score fat and stud it with cloves then rub honey (or brown sugar) and mustard over the lot, and roast until nice and brown. I'm sure it would work the same for gammon or any salt pork joint. Scoring the fat into diamond pattern before glazing really does help, you get crisp mustardy yellowy fat - leaving skin on doesn't turn it into crackling, sadly. The cloves are optional, and fiddly to put in, but it looks very attractive and does add to the flavour.

I can't recall ever doing it completely by roasting, but the juices at the bottom never thicken... they tend to burn actually. To get caramelisation you do need a fairly high temperature and that does burn the run-off. I did taste the run-off once before it caramelised & burnt and it was rather salty, even from a joint I'd soaked.

Using my method, the bacon-ham takes on a wonderful subtly spiced flavour as well... and you can simmer it one day then flash-roast it with glaze the next if you wished.

Mmmm... think I might have to do another one this weekend. I do love cold roast bacon like this sliced thinly with new potatoes and runner beans or peas, or mash, and of course lots of home made pickled onions.

Sue ------ "We cannot do great thingsÑ only small things with great love." -- Mother Theresa

Tom Anderson