FLOWER POT KITCHEN: JERK AND HONEY CHRISTMAS HAM, THE BEST HAM I HAVE EVER DONE !

9 Jan 2013

JERK AND HONEY CHRISTMAS HAM, THE BEST HAM I HAVE EVER DONE !

WHOLE PORK LEG BONED, BRINED, SOAKED AND SIMMERED IN COURT BOUILLON

ONCE SIMMERED, REMOVE THE SKIN AND SCORE THE FAT, STUD WITH CLOVES AND THEN RUB IN THE GLORIOUS JAMAICAN JERK SPICE AND HONEY READY TO BAKE

THE COOKED HAM ON MY FAB SLICER

DOUBLE FUN FIRST I GET TO SLICE AND THEN I GET TO TEST (EAT), THE THICKNESS AND FLAVOUR OF THE HAM, THIS IS A COOK'S PERK!

Ingredients

1 large raw brined gammon

1 jar Jamaican jerk paste spice

1/2 jar honey or

300g dark soft brown sugar

30 ish whole cloves
3 bay leaves
1 bark of cinnamon
10 whole black peppercorns
1 tbsp mustard

SOAKING THE HAM
First you will need to soak the ham in cold water for 8 hrs or so, overnight is easiest. Change the water a couple of times if you can. I read a cooking tip last year that suggested you did not need to soak your brined ham as the butchers don't use as much salt as they would have years ago, I don't agree. Last years ham I did not soak and it was very salty.

SIMMERING THE HAM
Place the soaked ham in a large saucepan and cover with cold water, add the bay leaves, bark, peppercorns and mustard, bring to a gently simmer for 15 minutes per lb. Once cooked leave to cool in the cooking liquid, then pre-heat your oven to 180 degrees. Remove the ham and pat dry.

GLAZING & BAKING THE HAM
Slice the skin off the ham, keeping a nice layer of fat on the ham. Score the fat not all the way through and generously rub on the Jerk spice paste, so you have a nice even layer, now stud a clove in each cross section of the scored fat and then either drizzle over honey generously or pat on a generous layer of dark soft brown sugar, pop in the oven for 30-45 minutes until the glaze is caramelised and you home smells of a gorgeous Christmas ham.

We can't wait for this to cool and carve off a few chunks straight from the oven, the magnificent burst of sweet and aromatic spices with a juicy full flavoured ham is a joy and highlights how many lovely ham meals we are going to be having over the Christmas and New year celebrations. I then set the ham in the fridge and slice off as and when, this ham should last at least 2 months.

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LIFE MY PASSION

Welcome to my daily life of cooking, one winters day many years ago my family and I were all inspired by a back to back rainy day of River Cottage this got us to stop talking about and start actually doing, suddenly three weeks later eight vegetable beds were dug, greenhouse erected and our first vegetables were propagating, this was the start to raising and growing our own food, our fabulous son Oscar changed our path in life which lead us to sell our small thriving restaurant of 10 yrs and to start our new life (Terrifying!) a life of the self sufficient in touch with nature and seasons, taking a step back and looking forward to a slower change of pace and making the most of every moment.

My passion for cooking was stronger than ever and having time at home with Oscar I found I had a new direction and I was no longer striving for perfection, I was suddenly very passionate for the enjoyment of the other side of food, something I had not realised, being the Chef/Cook and every other duty of your own small restaurant made me see that I never actually took time to cook what I wanted!

So there I was muddy boots and hands digging deep in more than one sense and I found myself transported back in time to where everyone grew some of their own food, it is a wonderful world with a real sense of achievement and loss, Slugs Snails and Caterpillars! But thats another story! Childhood memories of summers when I lived with my grand parents reminded me of so much that I had learnt about the make do and mend generation that I had forgotten.

Now as a family we love our free wild food days where we gather what nature has provided, have gone from being mini mini garden urban small holders, who did raised pigs at home because we could not wait to find land and supporting ourselves from our garden to now owning a very small farm that allows us to grow more vegetables for the whole of our family and neighbours, raise our own gorgeous Gloucestershire Old Spot pigs, (Sausages!) and pets! Dorset Down sheep, chickens for eggs and pet goats! Suddenly having large quantities of produce started to wake up the Cook in me!

The Cook was awake that part of me that wants to cook for the masses and I found myself setting up Flowerpot Kitchen, a Farmers Market Stall, I wanted to use our honest raised meats and make old fashioned pork pies, rabbit pies and game pies from the local game keeper along with old fashioned techniques and the best hot water crust pastry. This in turn grew to a small cottage industry from home weekly supplying three farm shops and a deli along with also attending three farmers markets A few years later there came a time when my son Oscar's health changed and it was an easy decision to stop.

I still hold the occasional pop up 40 seater restaurant or gourmet lunch which we do for local charities for the love of sharing food and to remind that Cook in me why I love our go slower self sufficient life!

So here I am sitting amoung the vegetables watching the chickens loving that every season nature teaches me something new and that nature is in charge! She has taught me to just go with it and grow. Give it a try from a tray of salad on your windowsill to a few tomato plants it all counts.