Perfect for Christmas recipe for honey ham and turkey

Honeyed ham with cider

Prep time: 25 minutes

Cooking time: 160 minutes

Serves 8

Ingredients

For the Ham

1.5kg/3lb 2oz smoked gammon joint, soaked overnight in cold water, drained

1 carrot, quartered

1 onion, quartered

2 bay leaves

¼ tsp peppercorns

500ml bottle dry cider

450-600ml/ ¾-1 pint boiling water

To glaze

Few whole cloves

2 tablespoons Rowse honey

2 teaspoons wholegrain mustard

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

Pickled Plums

400ml/14 fl oz white wine vinegar

150g/5oz Rowse honey

75g/3oz caster sugar

3 garlic cloves, halved

1 red chilli, halved with seeds, optional

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon multi coloured peppercorns

4 sprigs rosemary

4 bay leaves

450g/1lb firm ripe red plums

Method

For the Ham

Put the gammon joint into a flameproof casserole a little larger than the joint, add the carrot, onion, bay leaves and peppercorns, the cider and enough water to just cover the joint. Bring to the boil then add the lid and transfer to a preheated oven set to 190°C/375°F/Gas 5 and cook for 35 minutes per 500g/1lb 2oz.

Lift the joint out of the pan and transfer to a small roasting tin, allow to cool for a few minutes then cut away the rind. Score the fat underneath in criss cross lines with a knife then insert a few cloves into the squares of fat.

Mix the honey, mustard and ground cloves then spread this over the fat. Add two ladlefuls of the cooking liquid to the base of the roasting tin then return the joint to the oven, uncovered for 30-35 minutes, basting once or twice with the cooking juices until a deep brown.

If serving hot, transfer the joint to a serving plate, carve into slices and serve with spoonfuls of the honied cider pan juices. If serving cold, leave the ham to cool and serve sliced with salad and pickled plums, see below.

For the Pickled Plums

Pour the vinegar into a medium sized saucepan, add the honey, sugar, garlic, chilli, salt, peppercorns and half the herbs and bring to the boil. Simmer over a medium heat for five minutes until syrupy.

Meanwhile, wash, dry and prick the plums with a fork then pack into a warmed dry 750ml/1 ¼ pint jar with the remaining herbs, pressing the plums together tightly.

Lift the cooked herbs from the vinegar with a fork and discard then pour the hot vinegar mixture quickly over the plums making sure the fruit are covered by the vinegar. Close and seal the lid.

Leave to cool then store in the fridge, ideally leave for two weeks so that the flavours can develop before eating with cold sliced ham.

Turkey with honeyed onion and fennel stuffing

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cooking time: 3 hours

Serves 8

Ingredients

Stuffing

100g (3½oz) butter

2 small onions about 175g (6 oz), finely chopped

1 fennel bulb about 250g (9 oz), finely chopped

4 teaspoons Rowse Clear Honey

1 lemon

Bunch fresh rosemary

4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

175 g (6 oz) fresh breadcrumbs

1 egg, beaten

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

5 kg (9¼lb) turkey, wishbone removed, defrosted thoroughly if frozen

For roasting

100 g (4 oz) butter

150 g (5 oz) smoked streaky bacon

2 tablespoons Rowse Pure & Natural clear honey

For turkey gravy

Turkey giblets

1 onion quartered

1 carrot quartered

Method

For the Stuffing (can be made in advance)

To make the stuffing, heat the butter in a frying pan, add the onion and fry gently for 5 minutes until softened. Add the fennel and fry gently for 5 minutes then add the honey and fry for 5 more minutes, stirring more frequently until the onion and fennel are pale golden then take off the heat.

Grate the rind from the lemon, add to the frying pan. Cut the lemon in half, squeeze the juice from one half and add to the pan. Reserve the other half.

Strip some of the leaves from 3 stems of rosemary and chop to give about 3 tablespoons. Stir the chopped rosemary, parsley, breadcrumbs, beaten egg and lots of salt and pepper into the honied fennel mixture. Cool. This can be made the day before it is needed, pack into a plastic box, cool and chill in the fridge.

For the Turkey

Preheat the oven to 180°C (fan oven 160°C), Gas Mark 4. Remove the bag of giblets from the turkey. Rinse the turkey inside and out with cold water. Drain well and add the remaining half lemon and three stems of rosemary to the cavity. Spoon the stuffing into the neck cavity, press firmly until tightly packed. Fold the neck flap back over the stuffing and truss with string if needed. Shape any remaining stuffing into balls and add to the roasting tin for the last 30 minutes of cooking.

Weigh the turkey on the bathroom scales and calculate the cooking time allowing 20 minutes per 1 kg (2 ¼ lb) plus 90 minutes. Place in a roasting tin, melt the butter in a saucepan then brush generously all over the turkey, season the breast with salt and pepper and cover with bacon. Wrap loosely with foil then roast for calculated cooking time, brushing at intervals with extra butter and removing the foil and bacon for the last 30 minutes of cooking time.

To test if the turkey is cooked, insert a skewer through the thickest part of the leg through to the breast, if the juices run clear it is ready, if not return to the oven and test at 15 minute intervals, recovering with foil if needed.

Drizzle the turkey skin with honey and cook for 5-10 more minutes until burnished and glistening then transfer to a warmed serving plate, cover tightly with foil and keep warm in a very low oven, or if you need the oven space to brown the potatoes, put on a work surface, cover with foil and a thick towel to keep the turkey hot. Leave to rest for 20-30 minutes.

Remove foil and garnish the turkey with rosemary, holly and cranberries, sliced lemon or a fennel seed head, if liked.

To garnish: Fresh rosemary, holly leaves and a few cranberries or sliced lemon and a fennel seed head, optional

For the Gravy

Add the turkey giblets to a saucepan with 1 quartered onion, 1 quartered carrot, 2 stems celery, sliced, 2 sprigs fresh rosemary, 1 chicken stock cube and 1.2 litres (2 pints) water. Bring just to the boil then partially cover with a lid and simmer very gently for 11/2 hours. Strain and reserve. This can be done the day before and then chilled in the fridge.

When the turkey has been transferred to a serving plate to rest, pour the fat from the roasting tin leaving the meat juices behind.

Stir 3 tablespoons plain flour into the meat juices then put the roasting tin on the hob and cook for 2-3 minutes. 4. Gradually mix in the strained stock, 120 ml (4 floz) dry sherry, salt and pepper.

Bring to the boil, stirring and cook for 3-4 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed then strain into a large jug.

Tips: Weigh the turkey on the bathroom scales and calculate the cooking time allowing 20 minutes per 1 kg (2 ¼ lb) plus 90 minutes. If using a fan oven, lower the temperature down by 20°C to 160°C.

Honey glazed roasted vegetables

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 45 minutes

Serves 4

Ingredients

400g (14oz) small (Chantenay) carrots, scrubbed and halved lengthwise

2 medium parsnips, cut into thick strips

500g (1lb 2oz) new potatoes, scrubbed and cut into chunks

2 tbsp olive oil

1 large red pepper, deseeded and cut into chunks

1 courgette, cut into chunks

1 tsp cumin seeds

2 tbsp Rowse Acacia honey

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

Preheat the oven to 200°C / fan oven 180°C / Gas Mark 6.

Put the carrots, parsnips and potatoes into a roasting pan and add the olive oil, tossing to coat. Transfer to the oven and roast for 20 minutes.

Remove the roasting pan from the oven and add the pepper, courgette and cumin seeds, turning all the vegetables over until coated. Season. Roast for a further 15 minutes.

Spoon the honey into the roasting pan and toss together so that the vegetables are coated. Roast for a further 5-10 minutes until glazed and golden.

Tips: Instead of using cumin seeds, sprinkle the vegetables with chopped fresh rosemary or thyme.

Recipes courtesy of Rowse Honey

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