Food At Faithlegg - Sticky Marmalade Ham & Jenny’s Ultimate Christmas carrots
Stuck for some Christmas dinner inspiration? Every month, head chef at Faithlegg House Hotel Jenny Flynn joins Maria McCann on The Saturday Café for Food At Faithlegg. A slot where Jenny shares the secret to building delicious seasonal meals that are bound to impress. The pair also discuss trends in the food world, focusing on local suppliers. You might also pick up some tips on entertaining guests as well as a bit of fun on the way. This week Jenny shared her recipe for Sticky Marmalade ham and the ultimate way to cook carrots. See all the Food At Faithlegg recipes here.
Sticky Marmalade Ham
You will need
1 raw gammon ham, smoked or unsmoked, approx. 5-6kg with bone in
454g jar of good quality orange marmalade I use our one with Muldoon’s whiskey) · 300g light muscovado sugar
Whole cloves
Method
1. Heat oven to 180C/160C Put the ham into a large roasting tin, then tip in 500ml water. Cover the whole thing loosely with greaseproof paper, then cover it with a large sheet of foil, scrunching and sealing it around the edge of the tin. Make sure you leave some room around the ham. Put it in the oven, then turn the heat down to 160C/140C fan/gas 3 and leave to cook for 5 hrs. Meanwhile, mix the marmalade with the sugar and 50ml water in a small pan, bring to a boil, then set aside and leave to cool.
2. Take the ham from the oven. Be careful when you lift the foil as there will be a good amount of steam, which can burn. Once the ham has cooled just a little, remove the rind by gently prising the skin from the fat and lifting it away. Try to keep as much fat on the leg as you can as this will keep the ham moist as it roasts. Drain off most of the liquid (this is very good ham stock – keep it and use it for soup), leaving a little in the tin. Turn the oven up to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.
3. Score lines into the fat with a knife to make large diamond shapes, with the lines about 4cm apart. Brush a third of the marmalade glaze over the joint, really pushing it into the creases and cuts. Now stud the ham with the cloves by poking a clove into the corner of each diamond.
4. Put a trivet into the roasting tin (if you don’t have one, a few halved carrots will do), then sit the ham on top. Roast the ham, uncovered, for 45-50 mins, brushing with the remaining glaze a few times during cooking, until caramelised and delicious. Carve hot or cold.
Jenny’s Ultimate Christmas carrots
You will need
1.5 kg carrots, use heritage ones if you can find them
2 clementines
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 large knob of Kerry gold butter
½ a bunch of fresh thyme
Method
Peel the carrots, then you can chop, quarter, or halve them, but I like to leave them whole with the tops on.
1. Place the carrots in a large, wide pan and just cover them with cold water. Add a good pinch of sea salt and a pinch of black pepper, the clementine juice (you can use oranges instead if you prefer), vinegar and butter.
2. Bring to a boil and cook for 20 minutes, or until nearly all the liquid has evaporated.
3. Once the butter starts to glaze the carrots, add the thyme sprigs and reduce the heat to low. Cook for 5 minutes, or until caramelised and delicious.
Tips
These carrots are deliciously caramelised, but if you like them even stickier, add a drizzle of honey just before serving.
Enjoy!
About Faithlegg
Faithlegg is an award-winning 4-star hotel set in beautiful grounds with its own 18 – hole golf course right on the doorstep. Opened officially by FBD Hotels & Resorts in 1998, Faithlegg is a luxury property designed to meet the needs of the most discerning guest whether staying for business or leisure.
Dining is always a pleasure at Faithlegg, where talented Head Chef Jenny Flynn takes pride in creating delicious dishes showcasing the very best of local ingredients.
Faithlegg takes pride in its dedicated team and boasts many long-serving experienced staff whose wealth of knowledge and genuine duty of customer care has managed to reach and maintain a high standard of service over the years.
Follow Jenny Flynn on Twitter and check out Faithlegg on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram or see faithlegg.com.
You can also check out other Food At Faithlegg recipes here.
