This ham is best made a day in advance; you can keep the stock for soups. And invest in a kitchen probe: particularly on special occasions, it removes any fear that beneath the beautiful exterior, the centre of the joint is raw.
Serves 8
FOR THE MEAT
FOR THE GLAZE
Place the meat in a large, deep pot and cover with cold water so it’s submerged. Add the onions, leek, carrot, peppercorns, bay leaves and treacle and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 3 hours. With a kitchen probe, check that the core temperature of the joint is above 65C. Remove from the heat and leave to cool, ideally overnight.
Heat the oven to 190C fan (210C non-fan). Remove the cooked ham from the stock. Carefully remove the skin and discard, leaving a good layer of fat covering the meat. Score the fat, taking care not to cut into the meat.
In a bowl, mix together the honey, port, sugar, vinegar and salt. Brush two-thirds of the glaze over the joint, then place it in the oven for 15 minutes. Remove, turn the oven up to 200 fan (220 non-fan), brush the joint with the rest of the glaze and cook for 20 minutes until caramelised. Cover in tin foil and rest for 10-15 minutes before carving.