Method
Heat the oven to 190C, 170C fan, 375F, gas 5. Take some wide foil and put a double layer in a roasting tin large enough to fit the ham with plenty over the sides. You will be making a tent of foil. Then put another double piece across the other side. Put in the ham, then make a tent, scrunching up the foil so there's plenty of air to circulate. Now bake for 5 hours (calculate 1 hour of cooking per 1kg/2lb 4oz). After 4 hours, add the cider and mulled wine spice and return to the oven.
Leave the ham until cool enough to handle, then remove the outer skin, leaving the fat intact. Score the fat in diamond shapes then put a clove in each diamond. Mix together the sugar and mustard to make a paste then brush it over the fat. Increase the oven temperature to 220C, 200C fan, 425F, gas 7. Return the ham to the oven and bake until the fat has browned. Let it rest for 20 minutes before carving.
Ingredients
- 3.5-5kg (7½-11lb) ham on the bone
- 1 litre (1¾pt) cider
- 1 sachet mulled wine spice
- handful whole cloves (around 24, depending on the size of the ham)
- 5tbsp soft brown sugar
- 3tbsp English mustard powder
Top Tip for making Baked Ham in Mulled Cider
You can cook the ham a few days ahead. If you’re serving it cold, complete it and leave in the fridge where it will keep for 3 or 4 days. If serving it hot, glaze and bake before serving. If you need to soak the ham and don’t have a large enough pan, the salad drawer of the fridge comes in very handy – as long as it doesn’t have a crack in it, of course! Portion up any leftover ham into freezer bags. It freezes very well, and you can use it in sandwiches, pies and soups.