How to cook & glaze a ham with Chef Marcus Bean

This is the ultimate guide for the perfect ham to enjoy for any occasion as well as Christmas. A glazed DukesHill ham makes the perfect centrepiece for your feast and is a fantastic crowd-pleaser for any occasion. It is also the gift that keeps giving, making the best leftovers - if there is any ham left that is!

We’ve proudly teamed up with renowned Chef Marcus Bean, a regular on ITV’s This Morning, to show you just how easy it is to cook and glaze your ham with this simple how-to guide. Watch as he demonstrates how to cook your ham and how to prepare a deliciously simple glaze of honey and mustard. To help you follow along when it’s time for your turn, we’ve also added written instructions for this Marcus Bean recipe below.

How to cook a ham | Chef Marcus Bean

Ingredients for the ham:

  • Uncooked Whole Boneless Wiltshire Ham (Based on cooking a 5 kilo ham - reduce as required)
  • 2 banana shallots cut lengthways 
  • 2 carrots cut into chunks 
  • 3 sticks celery roughly chopped 
  • 2 Star anise 
  • 1 cinnamon stick 
  • Tbsp black peppercorns 
  • 1 head of garlic sliced through 
  • Cold water to cover the ham
  • Head of garlic sliced in half 

Method for cooking the ham:

  1. To cook the ham, add the aromatics into a large pan then add the ham and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil then simmer the ham until cooked. Cooking time will vary depending on the size of the ham but you can expect to cook for around 20 minutes per 450g. The 5-kilo ham I had cooked for about 3 hours. Top up the water during cooking if needed. If you have a large ham like the one I cooked, you could also cut it in half, cook one half and freeze the other for another occasion.
  2. Once cooked, pat the ham dry, then carefully remove the top layer of skin using a sharp knife, reserving the fat on the ham as this adds flavour.
  3. Score the fat in both directions, to create small diamond shapes.
  4. Stud the fat with cloves, use a skewer to create the holes, then fill with cloves all over.

How to glaze a ham | Chef Marcus Bean

Ingredients for the glaze:

  • 2 tbsp whole-grain mustard
  • 200ml runny honey
  • 200ml apple balsamic vinegar
  • 150g dark brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp olive oil

Method for making the glaze:

  1. Preheat the oven to 160c.
  2. Add the glaze ingredients to a saucepan and bring to a boil. Mix together then take off the heat once combined.
  3. Slowly pour the hot glaze over the studded ham, keeping some aside for during cooking. Use a brush to get the glaze all over the ham.
  4. Put the ham in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Remove and then glaze again, cook for another 20 minutes and repeat. Cook for a final 20-30 minutes until coloured and beautifully glazed.
  5. Remove from the oven and rest for around 20 minutes before carving and serving.
Serving notes from Marcus Bean: Cooked ham goes with everything. I love the sauces from DukesHill like Cumberland Sauce, or go classic with roast potatoes, vegetables and gravy. 

    What's the difference between ham and gammon?

    Gammon and ham are both cut from the hind legs of a pig which leads many to misunderstand what makes them distinct. The primary difference between ham and gammon is their preparation. Gammon is cured and often smoked and the curing process gives it a saltiness. It then also needs to be cooked, at which point gammon becomes known as ham. Which ham cure should I choose?

    Which ham cure should I choose?

    From the traditional method of dry curing to wet curing typically used for a classic Wiltshire Ham, there are different ham cures you can choose from. To find the right kind of ham cure for you, read our comprehensive ham guide.

    Discover your perfect ham today

    As Royal Warrant Holders and winners at this year’s Great British Food Awards, we are proud to present a wonderful range of the highest quality hams. Whether you are following our Marcus Bean recipe to the letter for a festive feast or intrigued at the prospect of indulging in truly traditional cooking, a DukesHill ham is the perfect dinner centrepiece for Christmas, Easter or any occasion. Discover your perfect ham today by browsing the full DukesHill ham collection.