RECIPE: FESTIVE HAM GLAZE

Preheat the oven to 200°C

Peel the skin off the ham, but leave the fat on. Do this by running your fingers gently around the edges of the skin to prise it loose then slip your hand under between skin and fat to remove the rest of the skin without pulling the fat off. You will need to cut a circle around the skin around the leg/shank, leaving the skin on this bony part of the ham only. Score the fat into lines or a diamond pattern and transfer the ham to a large roasting tin (lined to save the cleaning up later!).

Open the bag of cherries and remove the gel bag. Using a rolling pin gently tap the cherries until they break up into small pieces. Tip the contents of the canister into a bowl, add cherries and juice or sake, stir till combined. Spread the glaze generously all over the fat with a pastry brush (you won’t use all of it).

Roast for about 20 minutes then baste with the remaining glaze. Continue to do this every 10 minutes or so, until the ham is glossy and sticky, and the glaze is all used up. You can also baste with the glaze and juices gathering in the bottom of the pan. We like to take it to the point that the ham looks burnished and caramelised, but you can cook it to your personal taste.

Remove from the oven. Leave to rest, then slice. It can be served warm, at room temperature or cold.

Any leftover ham can be stored in a damp cloth, ham bag or old pillowcase for at least a week. There are a million different ways to use leftover ham - in a toastie or croissant, in a quiche, a sandwich or baguette. Make soup, or a risotto, or fried rice; throw some on the BBQ and serve it up with fried eggs. The possibilities are endless!