Baked Ham - a true 'Golden Oldie'

I still use my mother's recipe, even though I am forever seeing new and exciting twists on this old family favourite.  Over  the winter I tend to bake several hams, they are such a great thing to have around.

I always buy a good quality, free range British ham.  The welfare standards for all Pork in the United Kingdom is  superior  to other countries, even within the EU, and I think the slight extra cost of free range meat is worth paying, particularly as this ham was central to three delicious meals.

We first had this ham for  a Sunday Lunch, with all the trimmings, followed by an apple crumble.

With  some of the left over ham, I was able to make a Ham and Leek Pie for a midweek supper, and we managed a third meal; a 'Ploughman's Supper' of sliced ham, cheese and pickles with fresh crusty bread.


I soak the ham overnight and throw out the water.  I refill the pot and add an onion, carrots, bay, peppercorns and cloves, and boil for half the cooking time. *

I  remove the ham from the water and wrap it in foil to bake in the oven.  For the final half hour, I cover the ham with mustard, sugar and cloves and bake uncovered at 220 degrees.

* I cook ham for 30 minutes per 500g, plus a final 30 minutes.

I boil the ham with onions, carrots, a bay leaf and cloves

Wrap in foil 

Mustard,  fairtrade cloves and  fairtrade Demerara sugar

Mmmm, lovely scents from the clove and mustard

Before the final 30 minutes baking, remove from the oven

Remove the layer of skin, leaving the fat

Smoother with mustard (I used Dijon, but English works
wonderfully too)

Sprinkle liberally with Demerara sugar

Stud with cloves

Bake uncovered for the final half hour

The flavours of the glaze complement the ham perfectly