Port, Clementine and Five-spice Ham
This is the ultimate party ham – and you can save the ham cooking liquid to make a pea and ham soup. For many, a ham is the ultimate New Year’s Eve dish… possibly hearkening back to the pig being a lucky animal in many cultures.
Prep time: 20 mins/Cook time 160 mins/Serves 14-16
Method:
2kg (2 ½ lbs) unsmoked gammon joint
1 onion, halved
a few bay leaves
1 tbsp black peppercorns
2 cinnamon sticks
4-5 clementines: 1 halved, the rest squeezed (you need 150ml [3/5 cup] juice)
1 tbsp Chinese 5 spice
5 tbsp clear honey
150ml (3/5 cup) port
Method:
Combine the gammon, onion, bay, peppercorns, cinnamon sticks and the halved clementine in your largest pot then pour in enough cold water to just cover the meat. Bring to a boil, skim off the white froth that has risen to the surface then reduce to a simmer and cook gently for 90 minutes, topping up with more water as needed — you want the meat to always be just covered in water.
Heat the oven to 190 ̊C (170 ̊C fan/375 ̊F, gas mark 5). Lift the cooked ham into a foil-lined roasting tin. Once cool enough to handle, remove the bindings and take off the outer layer of skin and discard, leaving a layer of fat. Score the fat in a criss-cross pattern. Rub the Chinese five-spice all over the meat, then make sure that the joint is fat-side up and drizzle over 3 tablespoons of honey. Return to the oven and roast for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile; combine the 150ml (3/5 cup) clementine juice, port and the remaining honey in a small saucepan. Cook for 8-10 minutes to reduce, until it has a thick syrupy consistency – watch it towards the end to make sure it doesn’t burn. Brush the ham with the port glaze and return to the oven for a further 10 minutes until the crust is deeply caramelized.
Cool, then slice thinly, saving the roasting juices for pouring over. The remaining ham will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Dauphinoise with an African Twist
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Potatoes Dauphinoise, potatoes cooked in cream, is a classic French side-dish. However, though the potato is classic it’s not the only starchy tuber/root vegetable from which this dish can be made. OK, potato remains the star, but you can mix that with sweet potatoes, eddoes (cocoyams/amadumbe), yams, cassava, plantains etc). Add some chillies and you have a classic European dish with a distinct (and distinctive) African influence.
Prep time 20 mins/cook time 30 mins/serves 6
Ingredients:
1 red chilli (cayenne is good), thinly sliced into rounds
90ml (6 tbsp) white-wine vinegar
2 tsp caster sugar
Fine sea salt
75g (3/8 cup) unsalted butter
1 tbsp rosemary leaves, finely chopped
1 onion (about 150g [1/3 lb], peeled and thinly sliced
1½ tsp ras el hanout (or use bharat)
1kg (2 1/3 lb) root veg (should include 200g (1/2 lb) King Edward potatoes or similar), roughly chopped at an angle into 4cm x 2cm pieces
175ml (7/10 cup) double cream
25g (3 tbsp) parmesan, grated
10g (4 tbsp) parsley leaves, finely chopped
Method:
In a small bowl, combine the sliced chilli, vinegar, sugar and a teaspoon of salt and set aside to pickle.
Put a shallow, round, 28cm (11 in) casserole dish (for which you have a lid) on a medium-high heat, add the butter and, once it has melted, add the rosemary, onion, spice mix and two tsp of salt, and cook for five minutes, until the onions are pale and translucent. Add all the root veg, cook, stirring occasionally, for two minutes, then pour in 150ml water, cover and cook for another 15 minutes, stirring once halfway through, until the vegetables are cooked.
Turn on the grill (broiler) to its highest temperature. Stir the double cream into the root vegetable pan, cook uncovered for five minutes, then take off the heat and stir in half the cheese. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top, then grill for three minutes, until the top is golden and bubbling.
Leave to rest and settle for 10 minutes, then scatter over the pickled chilli and a teaspoon of the pickling liquor. Serve hot with the parsley scattered on top.
