Christmas Ham

Ham is a pretty simple thing to cook, but I had never done it before. Now I've done it twice. In both cases, the essential process was the same:

1. Take a ham (or gammon, if you will).
2. Place in a pan and cover with cold water.
3. Bring to the boil; drain.
4. Cover with cold water, adding vegetables and spices to the pan.
5. Bring to the boil, reduce to a simmer for about 20 minutes per 1/2 kilo.
6. Drain and transfer to a roasting dish.
7. Glaze and bake in a hot oven for 10 minutes.
8. Turn, glaze, and bake for 10-15 minutes.

In the first instance I used fresh vegetables and black pepper for the boil. In retrospect, since I wasn't reserving the stock due to lack of freezer space, it would have been as good to do what I did in the second instance and use vegetable stock to season.

The Christmas Day ham had a half-and-half honey and mustard (English) glaze, but Arya didn't go for that. Since honey and mustard mix up nice and runny, the glaze could be applied cold.

The New Year ham had a variation on a marmalade and brown sugar glaze, using a couple of tablespoons of good marmalade and one of black treacle, heated to mix and bring to a good consistency for painting onto the ham with a brush.