HAM WITH COCA-COLA

This delicious recipe comes from Nigella Lawson, although I heard about it on one of the cookery programs and found it on the web.  The picture (from Nigella's web page – thank you Nigella) doesn't really do the Ham justice ... it is MUCH more delicious and gooey than it looks here.  One of Jack's friends says it is one of the best meats he has ever eaten, so I never tell him there's some in the fridge when we've cooked it!  However, as Nigella points out, no-one who cooks it, cooks it just once; it ALWAYS "earns a place in every repertoire". 

INGREDIENTS:

• 2kg mid-cure (smoked or unsmoked – your choice) gammon
• 1 onion, peeled and halved
• 2-litre bottle of Coca Cola

FOR THE GLAZE:

• Handful of cloves
• 1 heaped teaspoon of something sweet and sticky:  the recipe (Nigella's) states black treacle, but I have used maple syrup (my favourite), honey or golden syrup – they all work equally well
• 2 teaspoons of English mustard powder
• 2 tablespoons of demerara sugar (or whatever brown sugar you have)

METHOD:

• Put the ham into a pan, skin side down if it fits, add the onion and pour over the Coke
• Bring to the boil, reduce to a simmer and put the lid on and cook for about 2 1/2 hours to 3 hours
• Preheat the oven to 240ºC/gas mark 9
• Remove the ham from the pot and, when it has cooled slightly, remove the skin, leaving a thin layer of fat.  Score the fat with a sharp knife to make fairly large diamond shapes and stud each diamond with a clove (although my children don't like too much clove - they say it's too dominating).  Carefully spread the treacle (or whatever) over the clove-studded skin, then gently pat the mustard and sugar on to the sticky fat.  
• Cook in the hot oven in a foil-lined roasting tin for approximately 10 to 15 minutes or until the glaze is burnished and bubbly.
• Alternatively, let it cool then put it in a cooler oven (180ºC/gas mark 4) for 30-40 minutes, turning up the heat towards the end if you think it needs it.

http://www.nigella.com/recipes/view/ham-in-coca-cola-171

TRADITIONAL CHRISTMAS TURKEY (á la Phil Vickery on This Morning TV)

Phil Vickery made this on This Morning one Christmas and it looked fantastic!  I've never tried it, but will give it a whirl this Christmas, I think .... look out family!  Fingers crossed it tastes as good as it looked ;)

FOR THE ROAST TURKEY:

• 1 x 5kg bronze turkey (with giblets and the wish bone removed)
• 2 x large carrots, peeled
• 1 x large onion, peeled
• 2 x sticks of celery
• 1 x leek
• 2 x bay leaves
• 2 x chicken stock cubes 
• 1/2 bottle dry white wine
• 1/4 bottle Madiera
• 1/2 pint cold water
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 57g melted butter
• 2 tsp cornflour, mixed to a paste with ...
• ... 4 tsp cold water

FOR THE BRAMLEY APPLE, WATERCRESS, CHESTNUT, THYME STUFFING:

• 4 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 x small onion, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 x garlic clove, peeled and chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme
• 450g good quality sausage meat (if you find a sausage you like, you can peel the skin off and use the uncooked meat, instead of just buying unseasoned, unflavoured sausage meat)
• 1 x Bramley apple, peeled, cored and grated
• Dried breadcrumbs
• 1 x whole egg
• 1 x small bunch roughly chopped watercress
• 150g chestnuts, peeled and left whole
• Salt and freshly milled black pepper

FOR THE HONEY, GARLIC, THYME AND MUSTARD GLAZE:

• 4 tbsp runny honey
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 2 x garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
• 1 x lemon, zest and juice

METHOD:

For the Bramley apple, watercress, chestnut and thyme stuffing:

• Heat the oil in a saucepan
  Add the chopped onions, garlic, chopped apple and thyme and cook for a few minutes until soft and translucent. Add the sausage meat and stir well (just break down the sausage meat but do not actually cook it through).
• Allow to cool slightly, add enough breadcrumbs to stiffen up the mixture, but remember they will continue to thicken as they reconstitute themselves, so be careful not to add too many.  Stir in the whole egg and watercress and beat the mixture well
• Finally, add the chestnuts and some salt and pepper

For the honey, garlic, thyme and mustard glaze:

• Melt all the ingredients together over a low heat and keep warm

For the roast turkey:

• Preheat the oven to 200C/Gas 6
• Remove the giblets from the bird – if you are using a frozen bird, make sure it is fully defrosted
• Season the bird well inside and out with salt and pepper and pack the stuffing into the body cavity
• Tie the legs and the Parson's nose together with a piece of string and secure well, so the stuffing is held inside the bird
• Chop all the vegetables into large chunks and place in the bottom of a large baking tray; place the turkey on top – the tray should be large enough so the bird has at least 2 inches gap around
• Pour in the white wine, Madiera, cold water and chicken stock and place the whole tray on to the hob.  Bring it to the boil and then cover tightly with two layers of foil and pop it into the over and cook for approximately 2 hours
• To check if the bird is cooked, remove from the oven carefully as there will be a lot of stock, wine and turkey juices; remove the foil and insert a knife where the thigh attaches itself to the body of the bird, the juices should run clear.  If not, then cover again with foil and cook for a further 20 minutes
• When the bird is cooked, remove from the oven, turn the oven up to 230C/Gas 8.  Carefully lift the bird out of the tray using carving forks or tongs (take care – it will be hot and VERY heavy!) and place it in a separate baking tray.  Spoon a little of the honey, garlic, thyme and lemon glaze over the bird and pop it back into the oven for about 10-15 minutes, so it browns nicely and evenly.  You may need to apply the glaze two or three times to get the best finish!
• Once browned, remove from the oven, loosely cover with foil and keep warm
• Strain the juices into a saucepan and skim well. On the hob, bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer gently to reduce the stock until it is deeply flavoured, skim well and thicken with the cornflour and water mixture
• Serve the gravy separately, obviously!

 http://www.itv.com/food/recipes/phils-traditional-christmas-turkey

INDONESIAN PEANUT SAUCE

This makes an ideal sauce to accompany satay (marinated and grilled chicken, meat or seafood skewers) and a pouring sauce for the classic Indonesian salad, Gado Gado

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon peanut (groundnut) oil
• 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 1 tin coconut milk
• 1 cup water
• 1 jar of natural peanut butter (actual peanut butter is a bit sweet, but will do)
• 4 tablespoons soy sauce
• 4 teaspoons brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon sambal oelek (Indonesian chili sauce)
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

METHOD

Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat

Add the garlic and shrimp paste and cook for 1 minute

Add the remaining ingredients, except the lemon juice and bring to the boil

Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes, uncovered, stirring regularly until the sauce reaches a creamy consistency

Add the lemon juice and stir to combine



This recipe is courtesy of www.mediterrasian.com