Festive ham cooked in a cider bath

Place the gammon in its netting in a large saucepan with the cider and water. Add the onion and bay leaves. Bring to the boil and then reduce to a very gentle simmer, do not allow to reboil. Cook for 3 hours.

When ready lift the gammon from the bath and place on a cutting board. Allow to cool completely as quickly as possible if you can. Place the gammon in a cold draft. When completely cool use your index finger to separate the skin from the fat layer. Use a sharpknife to score the fat layer into diamond shapes.

Preheat the oven to 250°C.

To make the glaze, place 100 ml of water in a saucepan with the Demerara sugar and apricot jam. Heat gently until the sugar has dissolved. Add the Pork Rub and mustard and simmer gently to release the flavours from all the spices. When the glaze has thickened, use a pastry brush to glaze the scored gammon and try to glaze between the cuts. Place the gammon in a deep baking tray with the rest of the water. This is essential to prevent the gammon from drying out and burning. (The sugar in the glaze will burn in the ovenas it drops off). If the fat layer is all around the gammon remember to keep turning thegammon so that all the fat faces the grill. Continue to glaze the gammon every 10 minutes.

If you are serving the gammon straight from the oven remember to allow the gammon to stand for 10 minutes before carving into thin slices. This allows all the juices to settle.

However gammon is just as delicious served cold or at room temperature.

Serves 10 - 12.

TIPS:

- Cooking times are 25 minutes per 450g for a gammon of 3.5kg and 20 minutes per 450g for smaller gammons.

- If you store the ham correctly it can last a few weeks in the fridge. However the fat needs to be completely removed. Cover the ham in a damp cloth and not in plastic which will make it sweat