Nothing says Christmas quite like a baked ham for the whole family to enjoy. Whether you serve yours warm as an alternative to the traditional turkey and trimmings, or cold as part of a Boxing Day spread, this recipe is one you'll want to repeat.
While it may seem unusual, baking the ham in Guinness not only adds real depth of flavour, but also prevents the meat from drying out in the oven. The addition of molasses sugar and cloves brings a touch of spicy sweetness, which complements the natural saltiness of the pork perfectly.
Check the weight of the gammon to calculate the cooking time. Allow 25min per 450g (1lb). To reduce the saltiness of the gammon, soak it in cold water overnight. (If you don't have time to do this, put the gam-mon in a large pot and cover with water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 10min.)
Step 2
Discard the soaking water and cover the gammon with fresh water. Bring slowly to the boil, then turn down the heat to a simmer. Skim off any scum from the surface, then add the vegetables, bay leaves and peppercorns. Don't allow the water to boil as this will toughen and dry out the meat. When cooking time is up, leave the ham in the liquid until cool enough to handle.
Step 3
Preheat the oven to 200ºC (180ºC fan) mark 6. Remove the ham and put on a board, discarding the broth. Trim skin from the joint, leaving a thin layer of fat. Score a criss-cross diamond pattern into the fat, taking care not to cut into the flesh. Stud the middle of each diamond with a clove.
Step 4
Put the ham in a roasting tin just big enough to hold it. Press the sugar into the fat, then pour the Guinness into the tin. Roast for 30min, basting with the Guinness every 10min. Leave to stand for 15min, then carve into thick slices and serve hot or cold.
An experienced and highly skilled team of food writers, stylists and digital content producers, the Good Housekeeping Cookery Team is a close-knit squad of food obsessives. Cookery Editor Emma Franklin is our resident chilli obsessive and barbecue expert, who spends an inordinate amount of time on holidays poking round the local supermarkets seeking out new and exciting foods. Senior Cookery Writer Alice Shields is a former pastry chef and baking fanatic who loves making bread and would have peanut butter with everything if she could. Her favourite carb is pasta, and our vibrant green spaghetti is her weeknight go-to. Lover of all things savoury, Senior Cookery Writer Grace Evans can be found eating crispy corn and nocellara olives at every opportunity, and will take the cheeseboard over dessert any time (though she cannot resist a slice of tres leches cake). With a wealth of professional kitchen know-how, culinary training and years of experience between them, they are all dedicated to ensuring every Good Housekeeping recipe is the best it can be, so you can trust they’ll work (and if they don’t – we’ll have the answer for why*) every time (*90% of the time the answer is: “buy an separate oven thermometer”!).
