Welsh Cider Baked Ham

Baked ham recipe
Diana Miller / Getty Images
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 90 mins
Total: 105 mins
Servings: 6 servings

Baked ham is such a lovely roast-like meat at any time of year but especially welcome as a traditional dish at Christmas and Easter in Britain and Ireland.

This baked ham recipe is Welsh and is cooked in Welsh cider, to be precise. For this recipe we used​ Rosies from North Wales. You can of course use any dry cider you like or is available to you but preferably, not sweet.

This ham makes a wonderful supper dish served with a creamy parsley sauce, another traditional way of serving. The ham can also be sliced thinly and served on crisp roils with a good chutney or piccalilli. Check out the other suggestions listed after the recipe.

Ingredients

  • 4 pounds (1.9 kilograms) uncooked plain ham, boned, rolled, and tied with string

  • 25 ounces (750 milliliters) dry Welsh cider

  • 1 small bunch parsley stalks, tied together with 3 bay leaves

  • 3 bay leaves

  • 12 whole black peppercorns

  • Sea salt, Halen Mons Welsh salt if possible

Steps to Make It

  1. Ask your butcher if the ham needs soaking, as some no longer do. If it does, place into a large stockpot and cover with cold water. Bring to a gentle boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Drain the ham and rinse under cold running water until cooled.

  2. Rinse out the stock pan, place the ham into the pan, cover with the cider and enough water to cover. Add the parsley stalks, bay leaves and peppercorns. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for an hour.

  3. Preheat the oven to 425 F/220 C/ gas 7.

  4. Remove the ham from the liquid (keep this liquid as it makes a lovely stock for soup). Dry the skin of the ham with a clean tea towel.

  5. Wrap the meat with a layer of foil leaving the skin exposed. Using a Stanley Knife or very sharp knife, make several diagonal slashes right across the skin. Rub the skin with a good sprinkling of sea salt.

  6. Place the ham in a baking dish and roast in the preheated oven for 20 minutes until the skin is crisp and browned.

  7. Remove from the oven and leave to rest for 15 minutes. Slice thinly and serve.

Tips

  • Baked ham works well in so many different ways. While it is warm, slice thinly and serve with a traditional parsley sauce and a good spoonful of `boiled or new potatoes.
  • The ham does not have to be sliced. Take a large piece of cooled ham and cut it into cubes. Use these in salads, in pasta with a cream sauce .... the uses are endless.
  • The leftover ham is, of course, excellent in sandwiches, on a buffet table, picnic bag or school lunch box. Any trimmings left can also be put into a lovely pea and ham soup.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
521 Calories
16g Fat
14g Carbs
71g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories 521
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 16g 21%
Saturated Fat 3g 15%
Cholesterol 203mg 68%
Sodium 3197mg 139%
Total Carbohydrate 14g 5%
Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
Total Sugars 11g
Protein 71g
Vitamin C 4mg 19%
Calcium 40mg 3%
Iron 3mg 18%
Potassium 1224mg 26%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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