Clodagh McKenna’s Pineapple Glazed Ham
The festive season just isn’t complete without a roast ham, so Clodagh’s sharing her foolproof recipe which uses a tinned pineapple glaze.
Clodagh McKenna’s Pineapple Glazed Ham
Serves: 6
Ingredients
2kg ham220g can of pineapple rings125g dark soft brown sugar16 whole clovesJar of cherries
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C fan.2. Place the ham, cut side down in a roasting tray and pour in 100ml of water. This will help keep the ham moist. Cover with foil and bake for 1½ - 2 hours - use a food thermometer if you have one, to check the internal temperature at the thickest part of the gammon, it should be 65C.
3. Remove the ham from the oven and increase the oven temperature to 200°C fan. Discard the foil and use a sharp knife to carefully remove the skin, leaving about a 5mm (¼ inch) layer of fat all over. Score a 2cm wide diamond pattern over the entire surface of the ham.
4. Line a baking sheet with baking parchment. Drain the pineapple from the can, reserving the juice. Place the ham on the baking sheet then mix the brown sugar and reserved pineapple juice together and pour over the ham. Arrange the pineapple slices on top and secure with toothpicks. Stud the pineapple slices with the whole cloves.
5. Return the ham to the oven, and bake uncovered for 30 minutes until the ham is glazed, sticky and glossy - baste using a large spoon halfway through the cooking time.
6. The ham will keep for a week in the fridge. Garnish with cherries for that retro look!
7. Serve with ginger chilli cranberry sauce
Clodagh McKenna’s Ginger Chilli Cranberry Sauce
Serves: 6
Ingredients
200g sugar100ml water6 whole cloves2 inch of fresh ginger, peeled400g fresh cranberries1 cinnamon stick1 chili, leave whole
Method
1. Place the sugar and water in a saucepan and slowly bring to the bowl, once the sugar has dissolved lower the heat.
2. Stick the cloves into the fresh ginger and place in the saucepan and follow with the cranberries, cinnamon stick and chili. Leave to simmer for 15 minutes.
3. When the cranberries have popped the sauce is ready.
Clodagh McKenna’s Red Cabbage Slaw
Serves: 6
Ingredients
100ml MayonnaiseJuice of 1 lemon 1 tbsp flat parsley, finely chopped ¼ red cabbage, peeled and cut into strips 1 stick of celery, thinly sliced 2 red apples, cored and cut into strips1 carrot, peeled and grated 2 tsp dried cranberries Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
1. Toss all the ingredients together in a large serving bowl, and season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
2. Leave to marinate for an hour before serving.
Clodagh McKenna’s Christmas Roasties
Serves: 6
Ingredients
1.5 kg potatoes (Maris Pipers or King Edwards), peeled and washed 180g goose fat 2 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped 4 garlic cloves, crushed Rinds of 1 orange, using a vegetable peeler to peel the orange rinds Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 220ºC (fan) / gas 7.
2. Peel and chop the potatoes into smallish chunks.
3. Parboil the potatoes in a pan of boiling salted water for 12 minutes, and drain.
4. Using a potato masher gently press each side of the potatoes, this is so worth doing as it makes the roasties lovely and fluffy! Tossing them in a colander works too, just a bit more wash up!
5. Place a frying pan over a medium heat and add 1 tbsp of goose fat (it goes a long way!). Once the fat is hot, add the first batch of 5-6 potatoes. Toss them in the fat using a slotted spoon, and once they have browned add a bit of the rosemary, garlic, sea salt and orange rind. Toss and cook for 30 seconds, and transfer to the roasting dish. Repeat the process until all the potatoes are crisped in the goose fat.
6. At this stage you can either cook them through in the pre-heated oven for 25 minutes, or else if you are doing them ahead just keep them in the fridge (once they have cooled) and pop them in the oven to finish the cooking when you need them. You can make them ahead 2-3 days in advance.
7. I like to serve them on a warmed platter with extra chopped fresh rosemary, and fresh orange rinds.