Baked Ham with Apricots and Candied Sweet Potatoes recipe
information
abels on many bacon and gammon joints often advise against soaking before cooking. However, when baking rather than boiling a joint, the meat loses some of its juices making it more salty, so it is advisable to soak the meat to remove as much of the salt as possible. The sweet potato, often wrongly identified as the yam, is 'candied' by adding natural sweeteners such as sugar and honey. Apricots add their own sweetness, alternatively nectarines or peaches can be used instead. This dish makes a colourful and festive main course.
Preparation time : 20 minutes.
Soaking time : 4 hours.
Cooking time : 1 1/2 hours.
Oven : Preheat to 180°C (350°F, gas mark 4).
Calories per serving: 480
ingredients
Honey glazed ham with apricots and sweet potatoes
2 lb (900 g) smoked joint lean shoulder bacon or gammon
1 medium onion
6 peppercorns
6 coriander seeds
2 lb (900 g) sweet potatoes
2 tablespoons sunflower oil
8 oz (225 g) fresh apricots
Grated rind and juice of 1 orange
1 oz (25 g) muscovado sugar
1 tablespoon grain mustard
1 tablespoon clear honey
30 cloves
1 medium onion
6 peppercorns
6 coriander seeds
2 lb (900 g) sweet potatoes
2 tablespoons sunflower oil
8 oz (225 g) fresh apricots
Grated rind and juice of 1 orange
1 oz (25 g) muscovado sugar
1 tablespoon grain mustard
1 tablespoon clear honey
30 cloves
method
1. Cover the meat with cold water and leave in a cool place to soak for 4 hours, then drain. Place the joint on a piece of foil large enough to wrap and seal it.
2. Chop the onion finely and sprinkle over the joint, along with the cloves, peppercorns and coriander seeds. Wrap the meat and seal the edges, then cook in the oven for 1 hour and 20 minutes.
3. Bring a pan of salted water to the boil. Peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into 2 in (50 mm) cubes. Add them to the pan of water and return to the boil. Simmer for 7 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a small roasting tin in the oven. Drain the potatoes. Remove the tin from the oven and add the potatoes to it, coating them evenly with the oil. Replace in the oven and cook for 30 minutes. Halve the apricots. Grate the orange rind into a bowl and squeeze in the juice.
5. Add the apricots to the tin and the sugar to the orange juice and rind. Pour the orange mixture over the apricots and potatoes and return the tin to the oven for a further 30 minutes, basting two or three times, until most of the sugar and orange mixture has caramelised around the potatoes. Meanwhile, warm a dish with a lid.
6. Reserving the sugar mixture, remove the potatoes and apricots from the tin with a slotted spoon and place them in the warmed dish.
7. Remove the meat from the oven and take it out of the foil. Reserve the cooking juices. Increase the oven temperature to 220°C (425°F, gas mark 7). Peel off the skin from the meat and score the fat with crisscrossed cuts. Mix the mustard with the honey and spread it over the fat and press the cloves in to make a pattern.
8. Place in a roasting tin or dish and cook in the oven for 10 minutes, basting two or three times, until the fat is golden-brown.
9. Meanwhile, make the sauce by mixing the sugar mixture and reserved meat juices in a pan and bring to the boil on top of the stove.
10. Cut the meat into slices and arrange on a serving platter, or if you prefer, carve the ham at the table. Lay the potatoes and apricots around the meat and serve the sauce separately in a small jug.
2. Chop the onion finely and sprinkle over the joint, along with the cloves, peppercorns and coriander seeds. Wrap the meat and seal the edges, then cook in the oven for 1 hour and 20 minutes.
3. Bring a pan of salted water to the boil. Peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into 2 in (50 mm) cubes. Add them to the pan of water and return to the boil. Simmer for 7 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a small roasting tin in the oven. Drain the potatoes. Remove the tin from the oven and add the potatoes to it, coating them evenly with the oil. Replace in the oven and cook for 30 minutes. Halve the apricots. Grate the orange rind into a bowl and squeeze in the juice.
5. Add the apricots to the tin and the sugar to the orange juice and rind. Pour the orange mixture over the apricots and potatoes and return the tin to the oven for a further 30 minutes, basting two or three times, until most of the sugar and orange mixture has caramelised around the potatoes. Meanwhile, warm a dish with a lid.
6. Reserving the sugar mixture, remove the potatoes and apricots from the tin with a slotted spoon and place them in the warmed dish.
7. Remove the meat from the oven and take it out of the foil. Reserve the cooking juices. Increase the oven temperature to 220°C (425°F, gas mark 7). Peel off the skin from the meat and score the fat with crisscrossed cuts. Mix the mustard with the honey and spread it over the fat and press the cloves in to make a pattern.
8. Place in a roasting tin or dish and cook in the oven for 10 minutes, basting two or three times, until the fat is golden-brown.
9. Meanwhile, make the sauce by mixing the sugar mixture and reserved meat juices in a pan and bring to the boil on top of the stove.
10. Cut the meat into slices and arrange on a serving platter, or if you prefer, carve the ham at the table. Lay the potatoes and apricots around the meat and serve the sauce separately in a small jug.
serving amount
serves 6
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