Ginger Beer Ham Food

GINGER ALE BAKED HAM

Steps:

• Place ham in baking dish or roasting pan.
• Score ham diagonally both ways about 1/8" in.
• Pour ginger ale over top.
• Pat brown sugar all over top and sides of ham.
• Bake according to ham package directions.
• (Usually 20 minutes per pound at 325 degrees).
• Serve with Potato Salad or Scalloped Potatoes (see my other recipes).

SPICED GINGER-GLAZED HAM

Steps:

• Put the gammon in a large pan and cover with 2 litres of ginger ale. Top up with water to cover the joint, if you need to. Add the whole allspice berries and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to low, and simmer gently, covered, for 2½ hrs. Top up with water, if you need to, while it's simmering.
• Drain the ham and leave until it's cool enough to handle while you make the glaze. Put the remaining ginger ale in a pan with the sugar, grated ginger and crushed allspice. Simmer, uncovered, for 20-25 mins until syrupy.
• Heat the oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Remove the skin from the ham, leaving a layer of fat, then score the fat in a criss-cross pattern. Transfer the ham to a foil-lined roasting tin, and brush over half the glaze. Roast for 15 mins, then glaze with the remaining syrup. Increase the temperature to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 and roast for a further 15-20 mins until you get a sticky golden crust. Leave to cool for 15 mins before carving. Drizzle over more glaze from the tin to serve, if you like. Can be made ahead and chilled for up to four days.

GINGER GLAZED HAM

Steps:

• Place the joint in a large pan over the hob, or burner, and add 7 quarts of dry ginger ale. Bring the pan to the boil then lower the heat slightly so that it keeps bubbling steadily for 4 1/2 hours.
• Towards the end of the 4 1/2 hours, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F and begin the glaze.
• In a bowl, add 1 cup of chunky ginger preserves. Stir in 2 tablespoons of hot English mustard. Add 1/2 a cup of soft, dark brown sugar and sprinkle in 1/2 a teaspoon of ground cloves.
• After 4 1/2 hours, gently lift the ham out of the pan and place on a foil-lined baking tray. Carefully cut away the skin, leaving a thin layer of fat. There is no need to score the surface, simply slap on the glaze and place the tray with the ham into the oven for 20 minutes.
• Serve hot or cold.

GINGER BEER

Steps:

• Wash ginger root but do not peel. Chop roughly and process in food processor until reduced to a textured paste. Put ginger in a large non reactive container and pour boiling water over it. Stir in the lime juice, zest and cream of tartar. Cover and stir occasionally as mixture cools. When lukewarm, mix the yeast with the warm water, pressing out lumps, and add to container. Cover and let stand for 6 hours. Stir the sugar into the ginger beer until completely dissolved and immediately pour into sterilized bottles, making sure the stoppers are well sealed and airtight. The ginger beer will keep for 3 to 4 days in a cool place. To keep longer, add rum.
• To serve, strain and pour into glasses (over shaved ice if desired), with a sprig of mint and thin slice of lime.

SLOW-COOKER HAM WITH STICKY GINGER GLAZE

Steps:

• Put the onion and 10 cloves in the base of the slow cooker then nestle in the gammon joint. Pour over the ginger beer then cover and cook on LOW for 7 hours until the gammon is tender, but still holding its shape. You can cool then chill the gammon at this stage if you prefer.
• Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/ gas 6. Carefully remove the skin from the gammon leaving a layer of fat behind. Score the fat in a diamond pattern with a sharp knife, making sure you don't cut into the meat, then stud the centre of each diamond with cloves.
• Mix the mustard and ginger preserve in a bowl, spoon or brush over the gammon then bake for 20 mins until golden and sticky. If roasting from cold you will need to add another 20 mins to the cooking time.

APRICOT & GINGER HAM

Steps:

• If your ham needs soaking, do this the day before cooking. Put it in a large pan (a preserving pan is great for this). Cover the ham with cold water and leave to soak in the fridge for 24 hrs, changing the water twice.
• Pour away the soaking water and rinse the pan. Return the ham to the pan and add the ginger beer, bay leaves, allspice, peppercorns and 6 of the cloves. Top up the liquid with enough water to cover the ham. If the bone sticks out of the liquid, don't worry - just rotate the ham halfway through cooking. Put over a medium heat and bring to a gentle simmer, then cover with a lid or a piece of foil. Leave to cook for 2½ hrs, topping up with water as it cooks.
• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. When the ham is cool enough to handle, discard the cooking liquid and pat the ham dry. Use a small, sharp knife to pare the rind away from the ham, leaving a layer of fat attached to the meat. Score the fat in a diamond pattern and stud all over with the remaining cloves. Put the ham in a roasting tin. Mix together the ginger and jam and brush the mixture over the ham. Roast for 1 hr until golden and glistening. Serve hot or cold.

STEM GINGER & MUSTARD GLAZED HAM

Steps:

• Put the gammon in a deep saucepan (if tied, leave it as is). Pour over the ginger beer and add the onion, clementine halves, 5 cloves and 3 bay leaves. Top up the saucepan with enough water to just cover the gammon. Bring to a gentle bubble, cover with foil and cook for 2 hrs, topping up with more water while cooking if you need to.
• Remove the ham from its cooking liquid using large tongs and leave to cool for 10 mins until cool enough to handle.
• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Carefully cut off the rind, leaving a thin layer of fat on the ham. Score a diamond pattern all over the fat. Put the gammon in a roasting tin. Mix the mustard and ginger syrup, then paint about half of the mixture over the ham. Stuff the stem ginger slices into the crevices of the scored fat and stud with the remaining cloves.
• Bake for 20 mins, then paint with the remaining glaze. Bake for 1 hr more until burnished and bronzed. Cover with foil during cooking if the glaze starts to catch. Cut some clementines into thick slices and roast them while you glaze the ham, then use to decorate the plate, if you like. Serve the ham warm or cold. Will keep in the fridge for five days.