Neven Maguire’s Sticky Apricot Christmas Ham Recipe Changes EVERYTHING

This week we're sharing our favourite Christmas dishes from Neven Maguire's Complete Family Cookbook - each one more mouthwatering than the last.  Today's recipe? Christmas ham with sticky apricot and ginger glaze "A traditional ham is the perfect choice if you’ve got hoards of visitors to feed, so it’s especially good to have over the festive period." says Neven. "A certain crowd pleaser, it tastes equally good served hot or cold. Have you ever wondered what the difference is between ham, bacon and gammon? Bacon is cured pork and gammon is a hind leg cut of bacon, and once this particular cut is cooked, it’s called ham. Any leftovers from this ham can be used in countless other dishes – even the bone will make a wonderful stock. Ingredients SERVES 10–12 1 x 5.25kg (11½lb) leg of gammon (on the bone) 4 celery sticks, roughly chopped 2 onions, sliced 5cm (2in) piece of root ginger, sliced 1 small bunch of fresh thyme 1 tbsp black peppercorns 4 whole cloves 2 star anise 1.5 litres (2¾ pints) cider 1 tsp ground ginger FOR THE GLAZE: 175g (6oz) good-quality apricot jam or conserve 100g (4oz) light brown sugar juice of 1 lemon 4 star anise 4 pieces of preserved stem ginger, cut into small matchstick-sized strips Instructions 1 Although gammon is less salty nowadays, it’s still a good idea to soak it. Place the gammon in a large pan and cover with cold water. Leave to soak for at least 6 hours (or overnight is best), then drain. 2 Preheat the oven to 120°C (250°F/gas mark ½). 3 Use a large, deep roasting tin with a rack that’s big enough to hold the ham. Put the celery, onions, fresh ginger, thyme, peppercorns, cloves and star anise in the tin and pour over the cider, then put the rack on top. Sit the gammon on the rack and cover with a large tent of foil, sealing it well. Put on the hob over a high heat and bring to the boil. Simmer for 15 minutes, then transfer to the oven. Cook for 12 hours or overnight – you can now leave it for 1–2 days before finishing the recipe. Alternatively, leave it to rest and cool down for at least 30 minutes. 4 Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F/gas mark 4). 5 Now make the glaze. Put the apricot jam or conserve in a small pan with the sugar, lemon juice and star anise. Heat gently until the sugar has dissolved, then add the stem ginger and simmer for 3–4 minutes, until reduced to a thick glaze, stirring occasionally to ensure it doesn’t catch at the bottom. 6 Carefully peel away the skin on the ham, leaving the layer of white fat intact. Using a sharp knife, score the fat diagonally to make a diamond pattern, being careful not to cut into the meat.# 7 Rub the ground ginger all over the ham, then brush over all but a couple spoonfuls of the glaze, distributing the stem ginger strips and star anise evenly over the top of the ham. Roast for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until golden and sticky. Remove the cooked ham from the oven, transfer to a serving platter and leave to rest for 15–20 minutes. 8 To serve, carve slices from one side of the ham, cutting diagonally to achieve an even thickness. When you reach the bone, insert the knife at a flatter angle and slice across the top of the bone. Turn over the leg to carve slices from the other sides. Use as required. Neven Maguire's Complete Family Cookbook (300 Life Saving Recipes for Super-Busy Parents) is available now in all good bookshops, €29.99.