Name: Maple Syrup Mustard & Cola Gammon
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 180 min
Total time: 10 min
Ingredients: 2 kg Gammon joint (preferably unsmoked); 2 litres normal Cola; 1 Celery stick; 1 Onion; 1 Bay leaf; 1 Cinnamon stick; ½ tsp Peppercorns; Glaze: 140 ml Maple Syrup; 2 Tbsp Dijon mustard (wholegrain); 2 Tbsp Sherry vinegar; ¼ tsp Chinese 5 Spice

Maple Syrup Mustard & Cola Gammon

16 Oct 2015

by RickRock

Prep Time

10 minutes

Cook Time

180 minutes

Total Time

10 minutes

Background

I've called this Maple Syrup Mustard & Cola Gammon because that's how the flavours of this gorgeous ham joint recipe gently hit you when you taste it!
It may seem crazy to cook in cola but I first saw the redoubtable Nigella Lawson doing it on TV about twenty years ago and have tried several variations since. This is my family's favourite one of those.

Ingredients

2 kg Gammon joint (preferably unsmoked)
2 litres normal Cola
1 Celery stick
1 Onion
1 Bay leaf
1 Cinnamon stick
½ tsp Peppercorns
Glaze: 140 ml Maple Syrup
2 Tbsp Dijon mustard (wholegrain)
2 Tbsp Sherry vinegar
¼ tsp Chinese 5 Spice

Instructions

Put the Gammon joint into a large pan and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil. Let simmer for a couple of minutes, then pour away all the water.
Now pour in the cola - enough to submerge the joint. Put on full heat.
While it's coming to the boil, peel and quarter the onion and chop the carrots & celery. Add to the pot with the cinnamon, peppercorns and bay leaf.
When the liquid boils, lower the heat, cover and simmer. Check now and again to ensure that the joint is still submerged - you can top up with boiling water if you've run out of cola.
After 2¼ hours, lift the ham out into a roasting tin. Discard the liquid.
Turn on the oven to 190°C. and while it heats up mix the glaze ingredients together in a jug.
When the joint's cooled down a bit, gently peel off the skin to reveal the fat. With a sharp knife score the fat in 2 parallel sets of lines about 3 cm apart to make a criss cross pattern.
Pour about half the glaze over the scored fat and put in the oven for about 15 minutes. Take it out, pour over the rest of the glaze and return to oven for half an hour, basting a couple of times.

Tips

I normally use a boneless joint but bone-in is fine - get one about about 2½ kilos for these quantities.
The boiling in water first is optional to remove excess salt.
Diet cola is not good for this recipe, use the real thing! Nigella recommended Coca-Cola but I think the cheaper brands work fine.