Clever ways to love your leftovers, including budget- and eco-friendly tips
Ham for the holidays
Fill your kitchen with the smell of Christmas and save fuel at the same time with this slow cooker gammon. The cola adds a sweet treacly flavour to balance the saltiness of the ham.
Slow cooker gammon in cola
Set your slow cooker to medium and put the gammon joint in the dish with 1 chopped carrot, 1 quartered onion, 1 chopped celery stick, 1 cinnamon stick,
1/2 tbsp peppercorns and 1 bay leaf. Pour over 2 litres cola (not diet). Cook for 5 1/2 hrs on low until the gammon is tender but still holding its shape, topping up with boiling water if necessary, to keep the gammon fully covered.
Carefully pour the liquid away, then let the ham cool a little while you heat the oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Lift the ham into a roasting then cut away the skin leaving behind an even layer of fat. Score the fat all over in a criss-cross pattern.
Mix 150ml maple syrup, 2 tbsp wholegrain mustard, 2 tbsp red wine vinegar and a good pinch ground cloves or five-spice in a jug. Pour half over the fat, roast for 15 mins, then pour over the rest and return to the oven for another 30 mins. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 10 mins, then spoon more glaze over the top. Can be roasted on the day or up to three days ahead and served cold. Serves 8.
See p82 for great ways to use up any leftovers.
just a dash
Not all of us want to open a bottle of wine for a recipe, but it can really enhance the flavours. Our trick is to have a bottle of extra dry white vermouth to hand. As the flavour is more concentrated than wine you won’t need too much. The bonus is that vermouth can be stored after opening, so seal up the bottle to use another day.
