Pineapple Christmas Ham
Ingredients
- 2.15kg unsmoked gammon joint
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 star anise
- 2 cloves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 green cardamom pods
- 435g tin sliced pineapple in juice (save juice)
- 8 glacé cherries
- 125g demerara sugar
Preparation
Put the gammon in a hob and overproof pot, cover with cold water and add the whole spices. Cover and put on the hob and bring up to a gentle simmer for 95 mins.
Remove from the heat but leave the ham to cool in the broth for an hour before draining. Score the fat, then use wooden cocktail sticks to secure the pineapple and cherries as shown.
Cover the ham and bake at 180 degrees C for 30 mins while you make the glaze. Put the pineapple juice and sugar into a small pan and simmer on medium heat for 30 mins.
Brush the top of the ham and pineapple with the glaze, leave uncovered and bake for 15 mins, glaze and bake for another 15 mins then glaze and bake for a final 10-15 mins until golden.