How to make roast ham

The first step to great roast ham is choosing the best meat. As always, we recommend going for

higher-welfare meat – it really is the secret to making sure your meat is amazing. It’s a good idea to order from your butcher in advance as large cuts are in demand around Christmastime.

The timings and measurements below are for a 3kg to 4kg piece of meat, which will feed around 10 people well. You might need to do a bit of measuring to make sure you’ve got a pot large enough to poach it in, but that will also fit in your oven!

POACHING

Before roasting, you’ll need to poach your ham. Place it in a large but snug-fitting oven-proof pot or roasting tin, then cover it with water.

Throw in one or two roughly chopped carrots and celery sticks, a couple of bay leaves, a small handful of peppercorns and a bouquet garni. Peel the zest from two oranges and add to the water, then squeeze in the juice and add 2 tablespoons of salt.

Bring to the boil, then turn down the heat, cover with a lid or foil and simmer for an hour and a quarter, skimming off any foam lurking on the surface. Remove from the heat and allow the meat to cool for half an hour, while still sitting in the broth.

This will allow the flavours from the herbs and vegetables to really penetrate the meat. When the time’s up, remove the meat to a board. Discard the vegetables from the broth, leave it to cool and store in the fridge or freezer ready for making minestrone-type soups – it will freeze well.

CREATING THE CRISPNESS

Preheat the oven to 170°C/325°F/gas 3. Using a sharp knife, carefully take the skin off the meat. Depending on the breed and quality of the pig, you should have a nice layer of fat. Trim off some of the fat to leave a layer about 1cm/½ inch thick. Any extra fat can be kept in the freezer for roasting with potatoes another time.

Score the fat left on the meat in a criss-cross fashion and, while it’s moist, season generously with ground black pepper.

ROASTING

Place the meat in a roasting tray and cook for around 20 minutes until the fat renders and starts to become crisp. For a really delicious sweet and sticky Christmassy crust, remove from the oven, and spread orange marmalade all over the meat using either your hands, or a brush made of a few sprigs of rosemary for extra flavour. Place back in the oven for about 1 hour, and baste frequently until beautifully golden and crisp.

Serve as you would a Christmas roast, or as part of a party spread with a selection of chutneys and sides. It’s delicious eaten cold in sandwiches or alongside bubble and squeak with a poached egg for Boxing Day breakfast. That’s the beautiful thing about Christmas roast ham, it’s the meat that keeps giving long after the big day is over!

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