12 for Xmas Eve dinner

December 24, 2014 Olly Nolan

So time to cook the 9kg ham, into a 30lt pot of cold water with some onions, potatoes, celery and carrots. Its brought to the boil and then left to simmer for around 3 hrs until cooked. To see if it is too salty you can taste the water after it gets to the boil and if its too salty remove half or all of the water and top up with boiling water depending on how salty it is.

Finished cooking in the pot...

Now its left to cool a little on the wire rack, the skin is removed and the fat is scored with a sharp knife being careful not to go down to the meat. Then mixed in a bowl is some dark soft sugar, English mustard and rum. This is rubbed thickly over the entire ham and put in the oven at 220C for 30 minutes and then reduced to 180C for 90 minutes.

This is how it turned out..

Table was set and Paulette and the kids made up little men on the plates...

This is my one...

We had a massive goats cheese salad for starters Followed by the ham served with caramelized figs, potato puree, creamed cabbage and carrots. For desert we had a French Buche, like a big Swiss roll.

And shortly afterward this is what happened...

Followed closely by this...