Ham and Ham Hock Soup

Ginger Glazed Ham

Ingredients

• 1 (12-pound) joint (mild cure boneless) ham
• 7 quarts dry ginger ale
• 1 cup chunky ginger preserves
• 2 tablespoons hot English mustard
• 1/2 cup soft dark brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• Cook's Note: If you can not get hold of ginger preserves, you can use ordinary orange marmalade and add 1 teaspoon of dry, ground ginger.

Directions

Place the joint in a large pan over the hob, or burner, and add 7 quarts of dry ginger ale. Bring the pan to the boil then lower the heat slightly so that it keeps bubbling steadily for 4 1/2 hours.

Towards the end of the 4 1/2 hours, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F and begin the glaze.

In a bowl, add 1 cup of chunky ginger preserves. Stir in 2 tablespoons of hot English mustard. Add 1/2 a cup of soft, dark brown sugar and sprinkle in 1/2 a teaspoon of ground cloves.

After 4 1/2 hours, gently lift the ham out of the pan and place on a foil-lined baking tray. Carefully cut away the skin, leaving a thin layer of fat. There is no need to score the surface, simply slap on the glaze and place the tray with the ham into the oven for 20 minutes.

Serve hot or cold. 

Split pea soup with ham hocks

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 large onion, finely diced
• 2 celery stalks, finely diced
• 2 carrots, finely diced
• 1-pound bag split peas, rinsed and picked through
• 1 1/2 pound smoked ham hock
• 2 quarts chicken stock, water, or combination
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

In a large saucepan, saute onion, celery and carrots over medium-high heat. Add peas and ham hock and cover with stock by a couple inches. Bring to a simmer and cook about 1 hour until soup is thick and peas have almost disintegrated but not quite. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Remove ham hock and let cool. Pull meat from ham hock bone and shred. Garnish with ham and pepper.