Traditional Potted Spiced Ham For Tea Time By Mrs Beeton Recipes

SPICED GINGER-GLAZED HAM

Steps:

• Put the gammon in a large pan and cover with 2 litres of ginger ale. Top up with water to cover the joint, if you need to. Add the whole allspice berries and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to low, and simmer gently, covered, for 2½ hrs. Top up with water, if you need to, while it's simmering.
• Drain the ham and leave until it's cool enough to handle while you make the glaze. Put the remaining ginger ale in a pan with the sugar, grated ginger and crushed allspice. Simmer, uncovered, for 20-25 mins until syrupy.
• Heat the oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Remove the skin from the ham, leaving a layer of fat, then score the fat in a criss-cross pattern. Transfer the ham to a foil-lined roasting tin, and brush over half the glaze. Roast for 15 mins, then glaze with the remaining syrup. Increase the temperature to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 and roast for a further 15-20 mins until you get a sticky golden crust. Leave to cool for 15 mins before carving. Drizzle over more glaze from the tin to serve, if you like. Can be made ahead and chilled for up to four days.

TRADITIONAL POTTED SPICED HAM FOR TEA TIME BY MRS BEETON

Steps:

• How to clarify butter: Place all of the butter in a small pan over a low heat and let it melt gently. Place a clean piece of muslin in to a sieve over a bowl, then pour the butter through the cloth and sieve very gently, trying to keep as much of the cloudy milk solids in the pan as possible. You should be left with a clear, golden liquid (clarified butter) in the bowl. Discard the milky solids left in the pan and the cloth.
• Put the ham and spices in a food processor and blend briefly. While blending, pour in about three-quarters of the cooled butter and blend to a paste. Add the mace, nutmeg, cayenne pepper and black pepper. The spices should give a warm background flavour and not dominate the ham, so add gradually and taste. (For a more textured paste, blend half the ham in the processor and pull the rest into shreds with two forks, then mix it together.).
• Pack into 4 small ramekins, pots or glasses, then spoon over enough of the remaining butter to make a thin layer. Chill until the butter sets (about 30 minutes), then cover and chill for several hours. The flavour matures if this is made a day in advance. Keeps for up to 4 weeks in the cool place or fridge if the airtight butter layer has not been broken.

POTTED HAM

Steps:

• Dice ham into cubes removing rind, gristle and excess fat.
• In food processor, rough grind the ham, if necessary, some at a time, so processor doesn't bog down. Transfer ground meat to a bowl.
• When ham is ground, put it back into the food processor grinding bowl and add the mayonnaise and spices.
• Turn on processor and homogenize until all ingredients are finely chopped and to the consistency of a smooth paste.
• Serve spread on bread for sandwich, on crackers or toast points for hors d'oeuvres.

POTTED HAM

Steps:

• Gently melt the butter in a small pan and leave it to settle. Slowly pour the clear yellow fat from the melted butter into a small bowl or jug, leaving the milky liquid in the pan. Discard the milky bit. Pull apart and shred the ham as finely as possible into stringy strips - use a knife to help if you need to.
• Mix the ham with the parsley, spices, vinegar, two-thirds of the butter and a little crunchy sea salt. Divide between 8 small ramekins or pots. Press down and flatten the surface with your fingers, then spoon or pour over the remaining butter. Chill until butter is solid, then wrap in cling film. Will freeze for up to 3 months.
• To serve, defrost the pots overnight in the fridge if frozen. Serve with toast, cornichons and chutney, or dip pots briefly in a bowl of hot water and turn the potted ham out onto plates first.

SPICED HAM AND LENTIL SOUP

Steps:

• Mix all ingredients. Bring to a boil.
• Lower heat to simmer and let cook for about 2 hours, or until lentils are soft.