Christmas Ham-tell a veggie how to do it!

KazDub

As a vegetarian I've never, ever cooked meat. We're having seven people over for Christmas dinner and are sharing out the cooking between everyone. We're doing the ham. I have NO idea where to start, complete 'cooking ham for dummies' moment!
I thought I just boiled it up in water for a few hours until my mother (meat eater) told me in sheer horror that ham cooked like that, with no veggies in the water would taste bland and terrible.
Can anyone give me a really nice and fool proof way of cooking a good ham? I'm looking on all the old reliable websites too (Delia, Jamie, etc) but there's mention of half cooking hams, peeling off skin, scoring fat into the diamond shape. It's just overwhelming. I don't want to screw up everyone's dinner so really want to do a good job.
Also, what kind of size ham would I need for seven people, bearing in mind that there'll be turkey and the usual trimmings too?
Don't be afraid of stating the bloody obvious, because really, I don't know how to cook meat!

olaola

I would say get a ham that will fit nicely into your biggest pot.
When you're boiling it, change the water a few times, it helps take out the salt.
At home we'd also 'steep' it in water for a good while to help remove the salt too. But the making of it is in the baking of it.
After boiling, we would remove the very top layer of skin... NOT the fat (this is important!!) just the actual skin. Then score it with a sharp knife. Stud with cloves, smother with English mustard and then stick dark brown sugar to it. It's not an exact science, and it's rather messy. Then cook in a med oven for about 40 mins.
Some people have their own glazes, and then there is the famous ham in coke, which I've never tried myself, but from all reports it's good.

nompere

At the very least put an onion, a carrot or two and a bayleaf into the water you're going to cook the ham in. I reckon a few juniper berries are the business as well.

It wants about 40 minutes per kilo in the water and then another 20 minutes per kilo in the oven.

You might reduce those timings by about 10% if the piece is particualrly big - say over 5 kilos.

Try googling "cooking ham" for lots of suggestions.

olaola

http://www.greatfood.ie/item_display.asp?cde=8&id=433

We cook ours on Christmas eve and then remove the skin/bake it in the oven just before the dinner on Christmas day. Saves a good bit of hassle too.

Dizzyblonde

There was a thread about this last month:

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056073895

KazDub

Thanks for all the helpful replies folks. Much appreciated.

elvis jones

My ham work starts on Dec 23

Dec 23

i steep it in water to draw out some salt.

Dec 24

I boil it in half water half orange juice for about 4 hrs ( changing the water once to rid it of salt )

Then i let it cool a bit and peel back the main layer of fat with a sharp knife. I then score the top of the ham with a the knife in a cris cross fashion. I then cover the top of it in a good quality orange maramlade and put cloves in the slites done in the top of the ham.

I then cover the top with honey and pop in the oven for about 2 hrs at 180c. I top up the level of honey on top.

I let ity cool and have a sneaky sambo on batch bread later that evening !

There is a pic of last years finished ham attached !

Dec 25

Enjoy !