Glazed Christmas Ham

The Christmas Ham. The most exciting part of the Christmas build up in our house. It was always cooked on Christmas eve, filling the house with it's beautiful aromas. My Dad would often receive a few slaps for picking at it after it came out of the oven while my brother and I would be trying to persuade my Mam that maybe Rudolf would like some ham for a change, rather than a carrot! To me, it has always been the more enjoyable of the Christmas meats, towering above the turkey in terms of flavour and intrigue, although that has become more balanced now with the switch to free range bronze birds.

There are many ways to cook the ham. My Mam would always boil it in a cider and water mix before glazing and baking. Others like to forgo the boiling altogether, baking it until just cooked before glazing and baking a little more. I like to boil and then bake. I believe it gives a better texture and results in a juicier ham. It is also a lot more forgiving in terms of cooking time. I decided against using cider and instead went for water with plenty of aromatics added. They slowly infuse the ham, giving a deep flavour and hints of spice throughout the meat. My glaze is especially for Christmas with the perfect mix of sweetness and heat with the added hum of rum to tickle the taste buds.

For the glaze:

1 tbsp Golden Syrup

3 tbsp Demerara Sugar

2 tsp Dijon Mustard

2 tbsp Rum (Captain Morgan's works well)

Mix together well.

Instructions:

1. Ask your butcher whether your ham needs to be soaked overnight or not. Sometimes it is necessary to remove the salt. If it is required, put the ham into a large pot and cover with cold water. Allow to soak for 24 hours, changing the water at least twice. Discard the soaking water.

2. After discarding the soaking water, add enough fresh water to cover the ham into the pot. Add some juniper berries, coriander seeds, peppercorns, and bay leaves and put over a medium heat until it comes to the boil. Remove any scum that forms on the surface.

3. Reduce the heat and allow to simmer for about 15-20 minutes per pound (about 35 minutes per kilo), topping up with boiling water if necessary. Continue to remove any scum that forms.

4. Remove from the pot (you can keep the water for cooking beans/cabbage or to add to the gravy) and cut away the strings. Remove the skin with a sharp knife but leave a good layer of fat on the meat. Cut a criss cross pattern into the fat, being careful not to cut into the flesh. Pour over half the glaze and spread it out evenly over the top of the ham with a pastry brush or the back of a spoon. Place a single clove into each of the cross sections of the cuts in the fat before placing on a baking tray and putting into a 180 degree preheated oven for 20-30 minutes. Cover with the remaining glaze halfway through. 

5. Remove from the oven, put on a plate and cover with tin foil. Allow to rest for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Pizza

Pizza

Probably Italy's most famous export, the Pizza has always been synonymous with the Peninsula. In the rest of the world it is a particular favourite of Children and Teenagers but it is a somewhat distorted dish that they love so much. When I first went to Italy, the first thing I had was a Pizza and it bares little resemblance to what we get in the freezers of our supermarkets and even what alot of the Pizza delivery companies make (we wont mention any names!)

The main problem with making proper Italian Style Pizza is very few of us have a wood fired oven. This really makes a massive difference as the Pizza cooks in two minutes or less rather than the 15-20 minutes recommended on the back of the box! I've been trying out different techniques of Pizza making for the past year to try to get as close to the real thing as possible and this is what I've settled on. Don't be afraid to change the topping to whatever you prefer!

A Pizza Stone is a very handy piece of equipment if you plan on making a lot of Pizzas. Preheat it at the highest temperature for an hour or so and it'll really help your Pizza along. You can also use a Pizza Tray (most have holes in the bottom to help it crisp) but these dont work aswell and you may need to adjust cooking times.


For the Dough

(Makes 4 Pizzas)
500g Italian '00' Flour or Extra Strong Bread Flour
320ml Warm Water
2 x 7g Sachets of Dried Yeast
1tbsp Golden Caster Sugar
1tbsp Fine Sea Salt
5tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil


For the Tomato Sauce

(For 4 Pizzas)
500g Tomato Passata
1tsp Dried Oregano
1 Clove of Garlic (minced)
3tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper


For the Topping

(to taste)
Parmesan Cheese (grated)
Parma Ham/Prosciutto (torn)
Skinless Sausage (cooked and crushed)
Peppers/Chilli (finely chopped)
Basil Leaves (torn)
Mozarella Cheese (thinly sliced)
Freshly Ground Pepper

Preheat Oven to its highest Temperature with the Pizza Stone inside

1. First make the dough. Add the Yeast and Sugar to the warm water and stir well. Leave to rest for a few minutes until foamed on top. Meanwhile sieve the flour and salt into a mixing bowl, make a well in the centre and add the Oil followed by the Yeast mix. Bring together and once a dough has formed tip out onto a well floured board. Kneed for 10-15mins until smooth and elastic. Put into a fresh mixing bowl, cover with a tea towel and allow to rest in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled in size.

2. Meanwhile make the Tomato Sauce. Put the Passata into a pan and bring to the boil, add the Oregano, season and allow to reduce by half. Add the Garlic and Oil and stir well until combined (1-2 minutes) Remove from the heat and set aside.

3. Tip the Pizza dough out onto a lightly floured surface and kneed for 1-2 minutes. Split into 4 equal parts. Wrap the pieces your not using in cling film and chill immediately (or freeze to keep fresh). Roll out the dough for as many Pizzas as your making (to the approx size of your stone), take the stone out of the oven, sprinkle some Polenta or Semolina on top (or a little flour if you dont have any) and place the Pizza on top. Top with 3 heaped tablespoons of the Tomato Sauce and put into the oven for 3-4 mins until browned and looking almost cooked. Do this for as many Pizzas as your making before laying all the par cooked Pizzas out on a table.

Turn the oven down to 160 deg C. (you may need to open the door for 10-20 seconds to allow the temperature to drop, get the extractor on first though and watch out for kids/pets!!)

4. Top the Pizza(s) with the toppings of your choice, finishing with the Mozarella Cheese (I used Parmesan, Prosciutto, Homemade Fennel Sausage and Mozarella). Sprinkle with a little freshly ground Pepper and (optionally) drizzle with a little Extra-Virgin Olive Oil. Put back into the oven (the stone isnt necessary at this point so you can cook as many as your oven will take together) for 3-5 minutes until the cheese has melted into a wonderful gooiness! 

5. Remove from the oven, cut and enjoy!

Variations:

Top with anything you like! The method is the main point of this post so top with whatever takes your fancy!

Beans on Toast

Beans on Toast has got to be the saviour of Irish Mammies! What's simpler than heating a tin of beans and spreading over some well buttered toast? Kids and adults alike tend to love it and in my house growing up, beans could accompany any dinner imaginable. Admittedly I was never a big fan of Baked Beans, I always found them a little too mundane and boring so I decided to come up with a Bean recipe that would allow me to enjoy these little beauties.


This recipe is slightly spicy but is delicious as a snack on its own or (as in our house) as a side dish with almost anything else! The Prosciutto imparts its lovely flavour on the beans and really lifts the dish, dont be tempted to use standard ham, it wont be the same!





Serves 3 as a snack or 5 as a side


2tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 Large Onion (finely chopped)
1 Red Chilli (deseeded and finely chopped)
1 Clove of Garlic (finely chopped)
2 Slices of Parma Ham/Prosciutto (torn)
500g Tomato Passata
1 Tin Cannellini Beans (drained)
1/4tsp Paprika

1/4tsp Cayenne Pepper
Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper

3 White Baps





1. Add the Oil to a pan over a medium heat and add the Onion, Chilli and Garlic, season well with Salt and Pepper. Cook for 5-7 minutes until soft. Add the Parma Ham/Prosciutto and cook for 2-3 minutes.

2. Add the Passata, Beans and Spices, season and bring to the boil. Turn down the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes until beans are tender.

3. Meanwhile, cut the baps in half and brush the inside with Extra-Virgin Olive Oil, sprinkle with a very small amount of salt and place cut side down on a very hot griddle pan for 4-5 minutes until toasted.

4. Butter the Baps and serve with the Beans.

Variations:

Dont be afraid to try any different herbs/spices that take your fancy and really tweak this dish to your own taste. Although the Prosciutto is one of the main flavours of this dish it could be swapped out for some smoked rashers for an extra flavour burst. Finely Chopped Carrots, Celery or Courgette could also be added at the start to add to the Veg count. Make this one your own!