4 1/4- to 4 1/2-pound bone-in ham
1 onion, peeled and cut in half
2-liter bottle of Coca-Cola

for the glaze:
Handful of cloves
1 heaping tablespoon molasses
2 teaspoons English mustard powder
2 tablespoons Demerara or granulated brown sugar

If you know that you’re dealing with a salty ham, put it in a pan covered
with cold water, bring to the boil, then tip into a colander in the sink and
start from here; otherwise, put the ham in a pan, skin-side down if it fits
like that, add the onion, then pour over the Coke. Bring to the boil, reduce
to a good simmer, put the lid on, though not tightly, and cook for just under
2 1/2 hours. If you joint is larger or smaller, work out timing by reckoning
on an hour for every 2 pounds, remembering that it’s going to get a quick blast in the oven later. But do take into account that if the ham’s been in
the refrigerator right up to the moment you cook it, you will have to give it
a good 15 minutes or so extra so that the interior is properly cooked.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.
When the ham’s had its time, take it out of the pan (but do not throw away the cooking liquid) and let cool a little for ease of handling. (Indeed, you
can let it cool completely then finish off the cooking at some later stage if
you want.) Then remove the skin, leaving a thin layer of fat. Score the
fat with a sharp knife to make fairly large diamond shapes, and stud each diamond with a clove. Then carefully spread the molasses over the bark-budded skin, taking care not to dislodge the cloves. Gently pat the
mustard and sugar onto the sticky fat. Cook in a foil-lined roasting pan
for approximately 10 minutes or until the glaze is burnished and bubbly.
Should you want to do the braising stage in advance and then let the ham cool, clove and glaze it and give it 30 – 40 minutes, from room tempera-
ture, at 350 degrees F., turning up the heat toward the end if you think it needs it. This is seriously fabulous with anything… Serves 8.